


Way of the World

by SpiralAK



Category: RWBY
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Drama, Anti-Faunus Racism (RWBY), Badass Ruby Rose (RWBY), Character Development, Female Friendship, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Ruby Rose (RWBY) Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:21:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 43,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25714978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpiralAK/pseuds/SpiralAK
Summary: Roman Torchwick was killed in battle after a Dust robbery gone wrong, by none other than Ruby Rose. As a result, Ruby has to handle an unwanted reputation, altered relationships and the aftermath of Roman's death. Dealing with all of this on top of attending Beacon Academy won't be easy, but Ruby won't let this keep her from becoming the best huntress in history.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna & Ruby Rose, Ruby Rose & Weiss Schnee, Ruby Rose & Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 27
Kudos: 56





	1. Don't Fear (The Reaper)

It wasn't the altitude that put Ruby on edge.

The chatter from the other students aboard the airship filled the air with a distracting buzz. None of them were looking at her, but she could still feel their eyes crawling on her back, itching to pull off her hood and expose her.

Before last night, Ruby never felt the need to hide. It wasn't her way. Today, however, her hood was her sheath, a veil that separated her from the rest of the world. Red like blood, it poured down from the top of her head to cloak her shoulders and flow outwards like a cape. She had it for so long that she couldn't remember a time when she had been without it.

With nobody waiting to invade, she was left alone to ponder her thoughts, her actions. Or watch the news playing on TV.

"Roman Torchwick was killed last night after attempting to rob a dust shop in Vale," Lisa Lavender reported. "Witness reports say that the person responsible was at the dust shop and apprehended Torchwick's cohorts, before fatally wounding the notorious criminal in pitched combat. The combatant's identity remains undisclosed at this time."

A smile bloomed across her face. She had a chance.

"In other news..."

If she closed her eyes, she could let the rocking of the ship and Lisa's droning tone lull her to sleep and drift away to some far-off land.

_The shock flitted through his face, the moment stretching on for eternity as the light in his eyes began to burn out. His cane fell, hitting the rooftop with a clatter. He followed suit, a puppetmaster whose strings were sheared. Blood gushed from his body, a roaring waterfall that was red like roses and –_

Ruby's eyes ripped open. Silver eyes. They were striking and vivid, like her lucid memories, a presence as constant as the neverending news cycle.

Lisa was covering a budding Faunus rights protest now. Some of them had to hide, too, but it wasn't exactly the same. They were victims of something outside their control. She wasn't.

Before last night, she never would have known that her eyes meant anything, but it was the first thing Professor Ozpin noticed.

Beacon Academy loomed in the distance, a series of ornate buildings with a tower that almost met the sky. It was her new home. She would had to meet new people. Prove it to herself that she deserved to be there like everyone else. Prove that Ozpin's trust in her wasn't misplaced.

In spite of everything... she was looking forward to it.

* * *

Ruby wanted to be a red blur, speeding away and weaving around anyone in her way like a hawk in the sky, flying to the beat of her own rhythm.

Instead, she walked out of the plane at a restrained pace. Thanks to Yang's message, Ruby knew the exact time and place they'd reunite, allowing her to take in the sights.

Up close, Beacon Academy was even more majestic than in pictures. It had an abundance of green and red trees, along with gray concrete paths that were smoother than ice. Spring was in full gear, bringing with it a relaxing atmosphere that brightened Ruby's mood.

All the clothing she saw formed a rainbow of colour. If red was her favourite colour, black was definitely in second place. Most of her clothing was black, and everything except her stockings was trimmed or laced with red. It looked stylish and hid stains of all kinds. Ruby couldn't ask for more.

Her future comrades were engrossed in their own conversations, and some of them were chatting about Torchwick's death. They weren't talking about her, but she heard whispers about a scythe, and willed herself to move faster. The last thing she wanted to do was be around when someone connected the dots and spotted her.

Ruby kept herself occupied by the academy's trappings instead of the people inhabiting it, until she saw her sister leaning against a tree. As soon as they made eye contact, Yang made a beeline towards her, grinning in delight.

"Ruby, you made it! How are you feeling?"

She did her best to smile. "I'm all right. I could be better."

"You should be! I still can't believe we get to attend Beacon together. Isn't that great?"

"It sure is," she said, drawling the words out.

Yang's grin faltered. "Something wrong, Ruby?"

Ruby's lip jutted out. She didn't mean to be such a downer, it just came out like that. She had to find a way to keep Yang from prying too closely.

"Did you see the news?"

Her eyes lit up, like a blazing inferno. "I sure did. Man, I'd really like to meet the guy who wasted Torchwick and shake their hand! Why'd you ask?"

"Just wanted to know, I guess."

Ruby barked off a laugh, but it came off pretty awkward and felt pretty embarrassing.

"Well, now you know. I guess we'll be hearing more about it, huh? After all, it's not every day that something like this happens!"

That wasn't what she wanted to hear, even though she doubted she'd be so lucky. Ruby started to curl up into herself. She just wanted school to start already.

"You sure nothing's wrong, Ruby?"

Yang had clutched Ruby's shoulders, smiling all the while. Ruby tried to slither out of her sister's grip, but Yang wouldn't budge: she was strong and stubborn as an ox, and she'd only get stronger the more she tried to resist.

Ruby sighed, deflating like a spent balloon. "I'm just kinda nervous."

"Don't be."

Yang finally let go, but her hands were moving up towards her hood.

"Let's get this out of the way."

Ruby tried to bat Yang's hands away, but it was to no avail as she just pushed her hood down, revealing her face to the whole world. She tried to pull it back up, but time passed without nobody actually looking at her, so she let it be.

"There we go! See, Ruby, there's nothing to worry about."

Ruby frowned, looking at the concrete path lying ahead of them that was waiting to be trampled on.

"Easy for you to say."

"I say it because it's the truth."

When Ruby faced her, Yang was still smiling, but it was softer, soothing her nerves.

"Trust me, Ruby, you belong here. You'll be making lots of new friends and showing everyone how awesome you are, and before you know it, you'll forget you were ever nervous."

What Yang was saying was stuff she might have been concerned about if there wasn't any blood on her hands. She actually was worried that people would see her as some little kid or someone special, but that might also mean they'd see her as a little killer if they learned the truth.

"Uh, Yang? Can you stay with me until everything's sorted out?"

Yang squeezed her shoulder. "Of course I can."

Ruby smiled, in spite of how she was feeling on the inside. "Thanks."

"No problemo."

She could always rely on her older sister to be there for her.

As they made their way to the academy, Ruby found herself thinking less about how things could be at Beacon. Yang's enthusiasm helped, as she'd talk about little things that Ruby could easily respond to.

Ruby also took in all of the amazing weapons she saw. She put a lot of care into her own weapon, so she was almost tempted to find out if someone was as passionate as she was about everything that was anything about weapons.

Then she heard people talking about Torchwick's death, and she shelved that idea.

Ruby saw someone hauling a ton of silver suitcases on a luggage cart. She made eye contact with her, but the haughty glare the girl in white sent her way made her regret doing that.

"What do you think she's carrying in those things?" Yang asked.

"I don't know," Ruby said.

"You think she needs some help?"

Ruby noticed a pair of butlers carrying other suitcases that looked just as expensive.

"Looks like she already has some help."

"I guess she does, huh?" Yang grinned. "I don't know about you, but why don't you go ahead and ask her, Ruby? That rapier of hers looks cool, so you guys can talk about that. If everything goes well, she might end up being your first new friend!"

Ruby took another look at the girl with the white hair, who was dusting off her suitcases. They looked really expensive.

"What are you looking at?" she asked.

Ruby flinched. She had to think of something quick.

"Those swanky suitcases," Yang said. "What's inside them, your shoes?"

The girl huffed. "For your information, these suitcases are carrying premium Dust. This is a combat academy, not a fashion school."

Yang wasn't deterred, even if Ruby was ready to bolt.

"Good to know. I just thought a girl with your fashion sense wouldn't be caught dead without a spare outfit."

"Of course I wouldn't, but these capsules are more important, which is why I'm carrying them myself."

Yang had a point: with her white dress and the way the inside of her white jacket and matching boots were lined in red, she seemed more like a princess from an icy land than an aspiring huntress.

Ruby took in a deep breath, steeling herself. Who she was didn't have to matter. If Yang could talk to this crabby girl, then so could she.

"What kind of Dust do you have in there?" Ruby asked.

The girl smirked. "All sorts: fire, lightning, ice. You name it, I have it, and it's all thanks to the Schnee Dust Company."

"And that rapier lets you use that Dust, right?"

"Of course it does." She unsheathed her rapier, letting Ruby see the cartridges embedded along the guard. "I load a cartridge, then with Myrtenaster here, I use the cartridge. I can switch to whichever one I need."

"Cool."

The rapier was so sleek, so sharp that examining it made Ruby's mouth start to water. She really wanted to know more about it. The thing was, she didn't want to push too hard when she barely knew this girl, so maybe she could do something to break the proverbial ice.

Ruby looked at Yang, who grinned and gave her a thumbs-up. Buoyed by her support, Ruby pulled out her own weapon and transformed it into its full size.

"This is my scythe, Crescent Rose. It can shift between a scythe and a high-impact sniper rifle. Isn't it great?"

"It certainly is interesting, I'll give you that much."

The girl took a closer look at Crescent Rose, and slowly, her eyes began to expand, something like recognition flickering across them.

"Quick question, did you hear about the dust robbery that happened last night? Of course you have. I heard that someone with a red scythe was involved. That wouldn't happen to be you, would it?"

Ruby froze. She wasn't prepared for someone to ask her about it, not yet.

"How did you know that I heard about it?"

The girl rolled her eyes. "Who hasn't heard about it? I'm from Atlas and I heard about it, so unless you've never heard of television or newspapers, then you know about that dust robbery."

"Whoa, let's not get too rowdy here," Yang said, disarming smile locked and loaded.

"Please. We're having a civil conversation, and besides, it's not like there's only one person with a red scythe in the world. If she wasn't involved, all she has to do is say so."

Ruby shook her head. She didn't want to lie, but at the same time, she didn't want to spill the beans and make a mess when she didn't have to.

"Well?"

Yang's smile flipped upside down. "Give Ruby a break. She doesn't have to answer you if she doesn't want to."

The girl scowled. "Well, excuse me for being curious! Who are you to tell me what to do?"

"I'm her sister, so be nice, got it, princess?"

It looked like she was about to explode, but then, the girl in white scoffed. "I'm just asking questions. If Ruby can't answer, then maybe she's guilty. How would you – "

"Stop!" Ruby said. "How do you expect me to answer you if you're being so pushy? I don't even know your name and you're already asking me about some random rumours you heard over the news!"

Ruby put her hands to her mouth, then she dropped them and glared. After how she lashed out, there was no point in backing down, even if she just wanted this conversation to end.

"The name's Weiss Schnee, and don't you dare forget it. You'll be seeing me again, Ruby, Ruby's sister. I will get to the bottom of this rumour, mark my words."

"I'm Yang," Yang said. "Next time we cross paths, you'd better not try anything. Rumours or not, you can't bully Ruby around."

Weiss clicked her tongue. "Whatever."

Mercifully, Weiss sheathed her rapier and walked away, suitcases and butlers in tow. Yang swivelled to face her, smiling wryly.

"I really liked how you handled that."

Ruby returned Crescent Rose back into a more manageable size and holstered it at the small of her back. "She was going too far."

Yang chuckled, her long mane of blonde hair bouncing around her shoulders. "Well, if you keep that up, you'll have nothing to worry about. Those stupid rumours got nothing on Ruby Rose!"

Ruby rubbed the back of her neck. Yang's support was really reassuring, but if she knew the truth, would she be so enthusiastic?

It wasn't that she murdered someone and buried their corpse in a dirty back alley, but she still killed a man when she could have tried something else.

The prospect of admitting it sat in her gut like encroaching lava on an idyllic village, because Yang wasn't dumb: someone would say something, Yang would put the pieces together and BAM, things would never be the same. If Yang was ever afraid of her... Ruby shoved that thought into the dark recesses within the back of her mind, the same place her nightmares went.

She looked around. Other than a girl reading a book, the courtyard they were standing in was mostly uninhabited. So she pulled Yang to the edge of the courtyard.

"What's going on?"

Her concern was clear to see in her lilac eyes. It made what Ruby wanted to say easier to stomach.

"What if those rumours were true?"

"What, that someone with a red scythe killed Roman Torchwick? What's next, you're going to tell me that this someone has a red hood and an awesome older sister?"

Yang was actually smiling. She wasn't afraid or disgusted. Sure, they were sisters, but this wasn't supposed to be happening.

"Um... yes?"

"Well, in that case..."

Yang extended her hand, like she wanted a handshake.

"Would you do me the honour, Ruby?"

Ruby looked at her hand like it would bite. "I thought you were joking when you said that."

"I'm dead serious, 100% of the time."

Yang was fighting back a laugh, so Ruby decided to play along and shake her hand. Yang had a firm grip, but beneath her gloves, she knew her hands were soft like the fluffiest pillows. Then Yang pulled her in close and hugged her.

"What's going on, Yang?"

Ruby's hands were at her sides, as she wasn't sure if she wanted to return the hug or get out of dodge.

"Nothing. Just thought you could use one of these."

The edges of her eyes started to burn. "I thought..."

"I'm proud of you, Ruby."

"You are?"

"Of course I am. I knew you were special, but you beat Roman Torchwick! If you've seen the types of people he hangs out with, you'd know how cool you were for taking him down."

Coming from Yang, the same person who roughed up a vibrant club and took out a local information broker in the process, her immediate and unconditional acceptance shouldn't have been all that surprising.

Still, relief flooded through her like a lifeline. Ruby wrapped her arms around Yang's back and hugged her sister. She was probably staining her sister's brown jacket with her tears, but she didn't care.

When she let go, Ruby rubbed at her eyes, sniffling a little.

"Feeling better?"

Ruby nodded. "I am."

Yang smiled. This time, Ruby was able to return it.

"Great. Do the teachers know about what happened to Torchwick?"

"They do, but Professor Ozpin decided to give me a chance. He said I was defending myself, so I could learn how to do that better here at Beacon."

Yang whistled. "Wow, that's great, isn't it?"

"It's better than what I expected."

"It's the perfect chance for you to build your own reputation. If I were you, I'd own these rumours, keep folks like Weiss from using it against you. But whatever you choose to do, I've got your back."

"Right. You're right. Thanks, Yang."

Yang beamed. "Any time."

Not everyone would see things Yang's way, but Yang was proud of her, so for now, that was enough.

* * *

Professor Ozpin's opening speech was... not what Ruby expected to hear from him. He spoke pretty bluntly throughout it, which wasn't so bad, except that it felt like he wasn't really there, like he was just going through the motions for a speech he'd given more times than she could count.

When they first met, Ozpin was warm and considerate, more like a nice uncle than the headmaster of a prestigious academy. Most of all, it really felt like he understood all the turbulent, topsy-turvy emotions she was going through after her fight with Torchwick, and instead of taking her down a peg, he gave her a chance to redeem herself.

Even though he might have been somewhere else mentally, his talk about taking that first step still resonated with her. If she was better, she wouldn't have needed to take that shot when it wasn't necessary.

Choosing to take Ozpin's offer and attend Beacon was her way of saying that she wanted to get better, become a huntress that could save lives, not just take them. Still, a part of her wanted to go back to Signal, where she could be around her friends. She wouldn't have to fend for herself with Yang as her only support like she'd have to do at Beacon.

Yet, at Beacon Academy, she'd become the type of huntress she wanted to be, and now that she knew how much not being capable could cost, it wasn't an offer she could afford to refuse.

So after Ozpin's speech ended and night came, Ruby settled in the ballroom, hoping that she'd get a good enough night of sleep for their initiation tomorrow. She got to work on writing a letter to the friends she had at Signal, so that they'd know what she was up to.

Then Yang dropped onto the sleeping bag next to her.

"Hey, Ruby, whatcha doin'?"

Yang's hand was propping up her face, and she was grinning. Maybe it was all the shirtless boys hanging around that made her so excited.

"I was writing a letter to my friends back at Signal, until someone interrupted me."

"Isn't that sweet?" She glanced at Ruby's paper before leaning on her arm, facing her. "You're gonna tell them everything?"

Ruby scrambled to keep her pen from falling. She'd told Yang about everything that happened after Ozpin's speech, but she was Yang, not just a friend.

"No. I'll keep it simple."

"That's a good idea." Her eyes lit up. "Oh, what about Dad? Did you tell him yet?"

Ruby sighed. "He already knows, thanks to Professor Ozpin. He totally understood what happened, though."

She was glad that it happened that way, despite how nauseating waiting to hear her dad's verdict felt. If he didn't know, this wasn't something she'd be willing to share until she saw her dad in person. Even then, she'd probably put off this talk for as long as possible.

"I thought as much. You were in a fight, and you can't control what the other person does completely. Sometimes, things just happen."

Ruby tapped her pen against her half-formed letter. "That's why I'm here at Beacon, so I don't make the same mistake twice."

Yang smiled. "That's right."

The main thing their dad told Ruby to learn was responsibility. It brought Yang's escapades to mind.

"Does Dad know what you did at Junior's club?"

Yang chuckled, rather nervously. "He does. Guess who told him."

Ruby winced. "How did it go?"

"Not too bad, but let's just say I'm glad to be here at Beacon."

She could agree with that. Yang started to ogle those boys, so Ruby continued to work on her letter. She was close to wrapping it up when Yang poked her ribs. More than once.

"Psst, Ruby. Hey, Ruby."

"Cut it out, Yang!"

Yang pulled back, but she kept her finger poised to poke her. "Check it out."

Apparently, some blond guy in sky blue footsie pyjamas was flirting with Weiss Schnee. He wasn't lacking confidence, but things weren't working out for the guy, and Weiss turned him down so harshly that Ruby winced in sympathy.

"Ouch," Yang said. "Poor guy."

"Yep." Ruby returned to her letter before Weiss could realize she was staring at her. She really didn't want a repeat of the courtyard incident, not with so many witnesses around.

She hated being away from Crescent Rose, but so far, the main fuel for the rumours was that Torchwick's killer wielded a red scythe. That meant that nobody was giving her any strange looks at the moment, even if the rumours still raged on.

"You think we should pay Vomit Boy a visit?"

Ruby glanced at the blond guy, then stared at Yang. "Vomit Boy?"

"He vomited after he got off the plane. Made a big show of it."

The urge to gag seized her throat, but Ruby clamped on it.

"Do you know his name?"

"Nah, I've never seen him before today."

Ruby frowned. "Then should we be talking about him like this?"

Yang pursed her lips. "You got a point there." Her smile returned. "Wanna go talk to him after you're done writing that letter?"

Ruby gave her letter a once-over. It was practically finished.

"You sure that's a good idea?"

"I can't call him Vomit Boy, so I might as well learn his name. Besides, maybe you two can become friends. Unless you can find someone else to talk to, that is."

She wasn't interested in talking to anyone, really, but she looked anyway. There was a girl curled up against the wall, reading a book by the candlelight. It wasn't the first time she'd seen her, but it seemed like she was really engrossed in that book of hers.

"You'll come with me, right?"

Yang smiled. "You got it."

Ruby put down her pen. "Then I'm ready."

It was all about taking that first step, so this was a good chance to put that idea into practice. Yang led the charge, and it wasn't long until they found the blond guy pacing up and down the back of the ballroom.

"Struck out with Weiss, huh?" Yang said.

The guy stopped, turned to face them. "You saw all that?"

"Hard not to. I don't think she was in the right mood, though."

His whole face perked up, from his blue eyes to his clean, white skin. "So you're saying I have a chance? Can you put in a good word for me?"

Ruby stifled a laugh. Yang, on the other hand, held up her hands.

"Whoa, slow down. I only met Weiss today, and I doubt asking her for favours would do me any favours. We, uh... didn't get along."

The guy's shoulders dropped. "Ah, well. Maybe I'll give it another shot tomorrow."

Yang smiled. "You do that. By the way, I'm Yang, and this is my sister, Ruby."

"Hi," Ruby said.

"Hey. I'm Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue – the ladies love it."

Jaune capped off this routine with a confident smirk.

"Did Weiss love it?" Yang asked.

Jaune's smirk disappeared. "No. Honestly, I'm not sure where I went wrong. I was confident, I complimented Weiss' looks. And it's not like I was interrupting her or anything."

Yang glanced at Ruby, but Ruby shook her head. This wasn't her battle.

"I'd say give it time, but I don't think Weiss is playing hard to get. From what I've seen, she can be very aggressive when it comes to getting what she wants."

"Too aggressive," Ruby said.

Jaune crossed his arms. "She does have a presence to her, I'll admit. Still, I just don't want to give up."

"Some girls can smell desperation coming from a mile away, you know," Yang said.

"But I wasn't being desperate, I just took my shot."

"Slow things down a bit, maybe?" Ruby said. "Try being friends with Weiss first. If you were interested in Yang, would you ask her out the first chance you got or get to know her a bit?"

Ruby caught Jaune's blue eyes trailing up and down Yang's body. Yang caught him, too, and she winked at him, stepping into his personal space.

"Like what you see, lady-killer?" Yang asked, soaking in the attention she was getting. It was nothing unusual from her sister: she loved flaunting what she had and she wanted people to notice.

Jaune gulped, arms unfolding themselves. "Um, is this a trick question?"

"Mine isn't," Ruby said.

"Mine wasn't, either," Yang said.

"Oh, right." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I'm not sure. I guess I'd want to learn more about Yang, but can't I do that on a date?"

"You can," Ruby said, "but she has to be interested first, and for that to happen, you can't force it. It's sort of like cleaning out a weapon: elbow grease really helps, but you need the right tools to make sure that you don't get stuck on a hard spot and waste your time. This one time, I was trying to get some Dust out of my rifle –"

"Dust as in those magic crystals, or dust as in the flaky stuff?"

"The magic crystals. Anyway, you can't just blow into the Dust particles or it might get all over some really sensitive parts, so I had to get this cloth and let me tell you, any regular cloth wouldn't do. I had to get my special cloth, but I was far away from my cleaning kit, too far to just sprint over there!"

Jaune's blue eyes bulged out. "Okay. This sounds really interesting, but what does this have to do with dating advice?"

Ruby's whole face turned as red as her favourite hood, and when she saw Yang clutching her mouth, tears forming around the edges of her eyes, Ruby's cheeks puffed out.

"Yang! Why didn't you stop me?"

Yang snorted. "You were on a roll, I couldn't let you stop!" She took in a heaving breath, struggling to fight back heaps of laughter. Jaune was frozen like a deer caught in the sights of a Beowolf, confusion written plainly on his face.

At least, Yang was able to get herself under control.

"You done?" Ruby asked.

"Uh huh."

Jaune blinked. "You guys really are sisters, huh?"

"Why wouldn't we be?" Ruby asked.

"It's not that; I've got seven sisters, and sometimes, they can go pretty overboard. You guys reminded me of that."

"Sounds like one big happy family," her sister said. She dropped her hand and sighed. "Ruby's got a point, Jaune. You can't force Weiss to like you. Try talking to her, no strings attached, and if you guys click, then you can try asking her out."

"Right." Jaune nodded to himself. "Right. Thanks, guys."

Yang smiled. "No problem."

Ruby smiled, too. It wasn't that big, but she wasn't faking it for Jaune or Yang's sake. "We're glad to help."

She looked at Yang, but Yang took a step back and mouthed 'this is your chance!' at her. Jaune didn't seem to be that bad: a bit hapless, sure, but not confrontational like Weiss.

"So, Jaune, where are you from?" Ruby asked, since that seemed to be a completely harmless question.

"Mistral. What about you two?"

"We're from Patch. It's close to Vale."

Ruby didn't have a hard time talking to Jaune after that, and with Yang chiming in every now and then, she could put those rumours and her blood-stained hands aside for the time being.

When they parted ways, Ruby left in higher spirits. Yang supported her and Jaune seemed like he'd be a decent friend. She got the chance to be somewhat normal, too.

Hopefully, she'd be able to build on this come tomorrow.

* * *

Sleep didn't come easily to Ruby. In the dead of night, cocooned by her sleeping bag, she had only her thoughts to occupy her. Those terrible thoughts leaked into her dreams, dripping their poison like blood poured from a bullet wound and robbing her of the rest she desperately desired.

Her eyes creaked open, her sleeping mask the only thing she could see. Ruby pressed her lips together and dug into her pillow, trying to salvage her night before the morning and its promise of initiation came.

She tried to fall asleep. Her aching, fatigued body begged for the siren call of slumber to arrive. Unfortunately, she didn't get what she want, and after struggling for too long, Ruby ripped off her sleeping mask.

When Ruby saw that Yang was sleeping like a log and her own blanket was a mess, she suddenly didn't feel like sleeping anymore. Why was it so hard to get a good night of sleep?

Ruby decided to get something to drink. Since they didn't have their own dorms yet, she couldn't warm up a nice glass of milk, but she could drink some water and freshen up her face while she was at it. That sounded like a plan, so she grabbed her bag of toiletries she kept next to her sleeping bag and made her way to the nearest bathroom.

She didn't like what she saw in the mirror: her eyes were bloodshot and the grimace in her face made her look years older. Slapping some water onto her face helped soothe the worst of her woes, and so did brushing her teeth. It was still really dark, so she wasn't sure if it was before midnight or before sunrise.

Checking her scroll provided an answer. It was 2:53. If she'd gone through a nightmare just to wake up an hour after going to bed, that would have really ached at her.

Nobody else was awake, except for one girl reading a book. She would have left her alone, like before, but Ruby saw an opportunity to make another friend. Yang wouldn't be around to help her out, but if she could protect herself from a dust robbery, she could definitely talk to someone on her own.

Also, she probably wouldn't be able to sleep, so wasting her time on a lost cause was something she wasn't willing to pursue.

Ruby took a moment to psych herself up. Clamming up or being awkward wouldn't work without Yang to cover her tracks, so she had to project an aura of unflappable confidence, like the huntress she wanted to be.

Once her game face was on, she tiptoed her way to the bookish girl, noticing how she wasn't using a candle or even a scroll to brighten the pages.

"Can't sleep?"

The girl looked up from her book, golden eyes staring back at her. "Nope. Neither can you, it seems."

Ruby chuckled. "Yeah."

The girl turned a page. She still didn't seem to have any trouble reading, when there wasn't much light around to aid her eyes.

"So... you're not having any trouble reading?"

She clicked her tongue. "I... read a lot at night. My eyes adjusted."

"Doesn't it hurt, even a little?"

"Not really."

"Cool."

It kind of seemed off to her, but she didn't want to ruin things for herself by prodding. Ruby heard the book slam shut. The girl was looking up at her. With the light coming from her scroll, Ruby could make out long black hair and smooth, creamy skin. A black bow sat on the top of her head.

"What's your name?"

"I'm Ruby. What about you?"

"Blake."

"Blake," Ruby repeated. "Nice to meet you, Blake."

Blake nodded, standing up. "You own a red scythe, don't you?"

Ruby breathed through her nose, refusing to flinch from her accusation. "I don't see any scythe anywhere, do you?"

Blake frowned. "I saw you earlier, demonstrating your scythe to the Schnee heiress."

Ruby sighed, trying to keep her cool. She knew that Blake had seen her before, but it would've been nice if she was too distracted by her book to pay attention.

"Well, what of it?"

"If... if it was you who got involved with that dust robbery, then I'm sorry you had to go through all that."

She felt her eyes start to burn, from what Blake had just said. It really warmed her heart that she wasn't being judged by some stranger.

"Why would you say that?" Ruby asked, because she had to know.

Her frown deepened, forming creases that marred her cheeks. "I've known people who killed before. It's not easy to move on from ending another person's life, even if the person you killed was a remorseless criminal. Especially when you're still so young."

Ruby frowned. It wasn't easy, but as much as she appreciated Blake's sympathy, she wasn't going to confirm her suspicions. She didn't like how Blake had to point out her age, either.

"I doubt it'd be easy for anyone," she said.

"No, it wouldn't."

With how this conversation was going, chances were that she'd snuff out the truth from her, so maybe she could change the subject before that happened.

"If you don't mind, can you tell me what you were reading?"

Blake frowned for a bit, then held up her book. "It's a story about a man with two souls, each fighting for control over one body. Where I last stopped, the souls were able to join forces for the first time."

"That sounds nice. I love reading those kinds of books: the story about the maiden in her tower and the knight that rescued her, the lady in the lamp who can answer any question, the soldier who brought daylight to a village trapped in eternal night, those stories were part of the reason why I wanted to become a huntress."

Blake smiled. Something about it didn't sit right with Ruby, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"How sweet. Do you think you can be like those heroes in those books, help people find their happily every after?"

Ruby smiled. "There's no reason why I can't. As a girl, I was inspired by those stories because those heroes fought for what was right, and they protected the people who needed protecting, even if it meant they'd be risking their own lives."

"Pretty ambitious for a child, but the real world isn't some fairy tale. I thought you'd understand, but –"

Now she knew what Blake's smile felt like: it was patronizing. She was treating her like a child just because she liked story books and she was younger than her, even though she had no idea what she went through, how much the stress from killing Roman Torchwick ravaged her mind and mangled her spirit.

Ruby scowled, baring her teeth.

"Well, what do you know? Just because you've known people who've killed doesn't mean that you know what it's like to do it yourself!"

Blake flinched, like she'd been slapped in the face. Ruby staggered back, aghast by her outburst. She didn't mean to lose her temper, but she was tired and hurt and, and...

No, she wasn't going to make herself feel worse just because of someone else.

"You should know, I came here to make things better, not to live some fairy tale. And you wanna know something, Blake? Nothing's going to stop me."

Ruby ran back to her sleeping bag, before Blake could open her big mouth. She covered herself up, breathing heavily, heart hammering in her chest as her forehead begun to ache. This wasn't what she thought was going to happen: she just wanted to make a friend, and Blake seemed nice enough. Unfortunately, things didn't go her way, and all she was left with was disappointment and cloying shame.

However, as she got her breathing under control, one thing became crystal clear in her mind: she wasn't just going to be the huntress she wanted to be. She would become such a good and just huntress that people worldwide would be writing and talking about Ruby Rose for centuries to come.


	2. Initiation

When Ruby woke up, the sun's rays shone through the windows, and the sight made her feel profoundly grateful that she managed to scrounge up some sleep. She took a nice, hot shower and brushed her teeth again, getting dressed in her combat uniform. For breakfast, Ruby ate some delicious pancakes and drank some warm milk before making her way to the locker rooms.

While her eyes felt heavy, at least she was functioning properly. The moment she felt Crescent Rose's familiar weight and smooth texture in her hands, it was almost as if that conversation she had with Blake was just another nightmare.

She took time to examine Crescent Rose, looking for any faults that might have accrued overnight. Fortunately, it was still in tip-top shape, locked and loaded for action. Thinking about all the work she put in to make Crescent Rose and how it had done so much for her made Ruby almost giddy with delight. It was the ideal partner for her, so efficient and slick and cool that she couldn't imagine being without it.

Sometimes, she thought about what would happen if it could talk or if it was inhabited by a spirit of some kind. Would it be proud to work alongside her? Would it hate her for making her kill someone when she could have done something else?

It was a weapon that she loved, but it was only a weapon, not a human or a Faunus. That meant it wouldn't judge her or break apart at the seams because it hurt when she was hurt.

Crescent Rose was an extension of herself, but it wasn't a reflection of her state of mind. That meant she wouldn't be afraid to use it, because there was no reason to blame the weapon for what the user did.

"Ready to rumble, Ruby?" Yang asked, from behind her.

Ruby holstered Crescent Rose, shut her locker and took in a deep breath. She faced her sister.

"I'm ready."

Yang smiled. "I'm glad to hear it. As for me..." She thrust out her arms, showing off Ember Celica, her bright yellow shotgun gauntlets. "I've been ready since I got here."

"What do you think we'll have to do?"

Yang shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I heard that we'll be placed in teams of four. So even if we're paired up, we'll still have to find two other people to join us."

Ruby frowned. "Really?"

"Really. It'll be a good opportunity for you to make more friends."

"Fat chance of that happening."

Yang put her hands on her hips. "Ruby, I know it's not easy, but those rumours won't last forever, and if you don't start now, it'll be hard to start later on when your routine's set."

"I'll deal with that when it happens. Right now, I'm done making friends."

Yang tilted her head, glancing at her rather quizzically. "Did something happen?"

Ruby sighed. Nobody was listening in: a really energetic girl was chatting the day away with her reserved friend, and Weiss was propositioning a red-haired girl about being on the same team.

So she took this window of opportunity to tell Yang about her encounter with Blake. When she was done, Yang was clenching and unclenching her fists, a deep frown creasing her face.

"Who does she think she is? Just because you know about the real world doesn't give you the right to talk down to other people!"

Ruby frowned. "No, it doesn't."

Yang slammed her fist against her palm. "It doesn't. You did a great job telling her off, Ruby. Next time you see her, I want to be there."

Her sister's eyes were going red, and when that happened, no one was safe.

"It's fine, Yang, let's just forget about her."

Yang blinked, before exhaling roughly. Her eyes were lilac, again. "For her sake, Blake had better hope that we never cross paths. Still, one lost cause shouldn't make you give up. Not everyone's out to get you."

"I know," Ruby said, frustration seeping into her voice. Yang was right: Ruby knew at least three people in Beacon who didn't want to ruin her day, and she didn't want to end up being a loner. Right now, when she had to be on top of her game, she had to focus on the things she could do best.

"If you know, then help me find two more teammates. Jaune seems nice, so maybe he can join us."

She rolled the option in her head. "Maybe. Blake's not an option, and honestly, Weiss isn't one, either."

"What was that?"

Ruby nearly jumped out of her boots. Weiss hadn't just heard her, she was stomping her way, promising a world of pain just from the menace in her blue-eyed glare.

"Weren't you talking to someone else, Weiss?" Yang asked, stepping in between them.

Weiss frowned. "I was, and if you must know, Pyrrha Nikos agreed to be my partner."

Ruby glanced at the red-haired girl, and when she made eye contact with her, a dusty bell started to ring in her mind.

"Isn't she that girl from the cereal?" Yang asked, which was exactly what Ruby wanted to say.

"She is, and for good reason. Not only did she she graduate at the top of her class, she won Mistral's Regional Tournament four times in a row!"

"Wow," Ruby said.

"Exactly. Anyone would be lucky to have her on her team. However, that's not the point."

Weiss thrust her finger in Ruby's direction. "Where do you get off on saying that you don't want to be partners with me?"

Yang scowled. "Hey, play nice!"

"I'll play nice once I get my answers!"

Ruby kept the panic screaming in her brain from showing on her face. "You have to get along with your partner, right? I wasn't sure if I could get along with you."

Weiss glared at her, but Ruby stood her ground. Just when she was about to break, Weiss blinked and pulled back her finger.

"I suppose I didn't do a good enough job of winning you over. After all, we didn't finish our conversation yesterday."

"Neither did we," Jaune said, smiling at Weiss.

Weiss scowled. "Can't you see that we're in the middle of something?"

Her fierce tongue didn't faze Jaune at all. "I do, so I'll wait for you to finish."

"I'd advise you to..." Weiss' look of righteous indignation slid off her face. "Do just that."

Jaune pulled out a piece of paper and walked away. It actually seemed like he was acting on their advice.

Weiss coughed into her fist. "Right, back to more important matters. There are many rumours surrounding your scythe, Ruby, and if you were the one who was involved in that dust robbery, then that means you might be a capable fighter."

That... wasn't what she was expecting. Ruby looked at Yang, who was similarly shocked. Unlike her, Yang was able to hide it through a smile.

"That's right, princess," Yang said. "Ruby isn't just capable, she's a champion in the making. So maybe you and Pyrrha can team up with us."

Weiss smirked. "Maybe I will. It'll give me plenty of time to find out what happened."

"Ruby? What do you think?"

Ruby frowned. "Does this story really mean that much to you?"

Weiss pursed her lips. "It didn't at first, but now I want to know who did it and why. Scum like Torchwick is better off dead, if you ask me, so if you're afraid I'll think less of you, then you're mistaken."

Ruby sucked in a short breath. Knowing that was comforting in its own way, to the point that she honestly thought about telling Weiss the truth. However, she wasn't sure if doing that would get her to back off, or if it could backfire in some way. She wasn't sure if telling her to back off would stop her, either.

"I'm glad to hear that," Ruby said, not ready to commit to anything just yet.

"You should be. I have no reason to lie to you, or hold your actions against you."

"Great," Yang said. "As long as you don't try to force Ruby to talk, then we shouldn't have any problems."

"I highly doubt that."

Weiss stalked off, and out of the corner of her eye, Ruby saw Jaune converge on Weiss' position.

"Do you think she'll ever give up?" Ruby asked.

"I doubt it," Yang said. "It's your choice if you want to tell her, okay? She can't hurt you unless you let her."

Ruby nodded. Weiss couldn't hurt her, and even if she knew, there was a decent chance that nothing would come of it. Unless, of course, she fuelled the rumour mill with a dose of truth.

Still, Weiss was just too much to deal with at the moment. Jaune could try his luck with this princess in her stead.

"So, Weiss, how are you doing today?" Jaune asked.

Weiss crossed her arms. "I'm fine, but didn't I tell you that I wasn't interested in a date?"

"I know, I know, but I pushed too hard when I just met you, and I didn't see that I was making you uncomfortable. Can you give me another chance?"

There was a pause in the conversation, just long enough for Jaune's smile to crack.

"Go on."

Jaune's smile grew even larger. "My dad always says to be confident when talking to other people, and I can do that, but not everyone might appreciate an all-out attack from the outset. What do you think?"

"Well, you have to know what you want and be ready to take it. That being said, there is a time and place for everything. Asking me out on a date when I wanted to sleep was not the right time or the right place."

"Right, I get why you'd think that way, and now that you mention it, I did come out of nowhere."

"You did."

Jaune laughed. "That wasn't fair of me and it certainly wasn't fair to you. Maybe after this initiation, we'll be put on a team, and I'd hate it if we couldn't get along. Wouldn't you agree?"

Weiss' lip quivered. It looked like she was actually considering it.

"What school did you come from?"

Jaune flinched, peeling back the brave face he'd put on. "I... did some personal training."

"Who trained you?"

"He's a reclusive guy. You wouldn't have heard of him."

Next to Ruby, Yang shook her head. He couldn't have said he was trained by someone he actually knew?

"Well, what I like to see is results. Whether we end up on the same team or not, you'll have to prove you can keep up. Until then, I don't want to hear any of your requests. Do you understand?"

Jaune nodded, head hanging like a whining dog. "Yes, Weiss."

Weiss smiled. "Good. It was nice talking to you, Jaune."

She spun on the spot and walked away. Jaune clenched a fist, pumped it.

"At least he didn't bomb out," Yang said.

"You're telling me," Ruby said.

Jaune's attempts at wooing Weiss had inadvertently given Ruby a piece of information that could help her turn the tables. Next time Weiss tried to ask about the dust robbery gone wrong, Ruby would be ready.

In the meantime, though, she had an initiation waiting for her. Whatever happened, Ruby was more than willing to fight through anything it threw at her.

* * *

Ruby flew through the air, diving headfirst into the Emerald Forest. The air was rushing around her ears, putting her in a zone of focus that blocked out her thoughts, her fears, everything that wasn't relevant. She had to stick her landing, nothing else mattered.

Crescent Rose was in her hands, and Ruby fired, using the recoil to slow down her momentum just a smidge. This gave her time to transform and anchor her scythe around a large tree branch, spinning around in a complete circle before blasting off again.

Landing on the ground after that was child's play.

Her partner would be whoever she first made eye contact with, so as long as she paid attention, she could easily become partners with Yang. After that, they'd collect their relic at an abandoned temple and make their way out of the forest.

The problem was that she couldn't find Yang. Ruby hustled through thick trees and dense foliage, trying to locate her sister, but she couldn't see her blonde hair or hear the blast of her gauntlets.

Did someone else find her first? What about if she came across another student? Besides Yang, she couldn't think of a partner she could easily work with. Jaune was nice, but she didn't know if he could really fight. Pyrrha Nikos could fight well, apparently, but she didn't know anything else about her.

The less said about Weiss, the better, and she'd be fine with never seeing Blake again. As for everyone else in her year, she didn't know them, so there was no way of knowing if they could work well together, or if they'd hate her for what she did to Torchwick if they ever found out.

She didn't understand why Professor Ozpin left such an important part of their school lives to what was basically random chance. Even if they knew what their initiation required of them beforehand, colluding with a potential partner didn't guarantee that they'd end up being partners.

It was so frustrating.

Ruby was wide-eyed and frantic by the time she reached a clearing surrounded by tall trees, hoping that she could find her way to the relic. Getting to Yang was becoming more and more of a lost cause the longer she searched, so the least she could do was get this test over and done with.

Her ears twitched, hearing grass and stray twigs crunch and snap. Someone was coming, their growling growing louder with every footstep. It wasn't someone, it was something: a creature with fur darker than tar, bone-white spikes jutting out of its four limbs and along its spine.

The creature crawled towards Ruby, peering at her with red eyes glowering behind a white mask. Rows of long, sharp teeth gnashed against each other. A Beowolf had found her, and it hadn't come alone.

She counted six Beowolves on the prowl. They wanted to prey on her negativity, all of the feelings she'd battled with since arriving at Beacon, but she wouldn't let them. Crescent Rose was in her hand once more, shifting into a scythe to shear through these creatures of Grimm.

The Beowolf that spotted Ruby sprinted at her on all four legs, claw outstretched to tear her throat. Ruby sliced through its claw, spun around and stabbed into its mask with the tip of Crescent Rose's blade.

It didn't bleed out from the stump of its limb, nor did shock flit through its red eyes after being dismembered. Smoke floated from the wounds Ruby inflicted on it, and the moment she pulled out Crescent Rose, it collapsed, nothing more than ash floating in the wind.

If the other Beowolves felt any grief or sorrow over the loss of their fellow creature, they didn't show it. More likely, they didn't care, because they weren't people who lived and loved and experienced an explosion of emotion throughout their lives.

The creatures of Grimm were nothing more than soulless monsters, a blight on this planet Ruby called home. She didn't feel guilt or remorse over killing them, when they'd kill her without thinking.

Ruby used her semblance to dash past a Beowolf, mowing through its limbs. A storm of red rose petals fluttered along her path, and when she stopped, the Beowolf was down, out for the count. Four remained, and they quickly surrounded her, blocking her escape. She wasn't going to run away, though. They were in her way, and that meant they had to go.

Two Beowolves charged at her in a pincer attack, but Ruby was more than ready. She fired two rounds from her rifle, blasting the oncoming Beowolf in its mask and its front leg, tearing through its hide. Then, she wrapped the bottom half of Crescent Rose around the Beowolf in front of her and spun around to land on its back.

She pulled Crescent Rose, firing another bullet to divide the creature she was standing on into two pieces. She jumped off, turning in the air and aiming at the third Beowolf. Ruby fired, bullets piercing through its flank, while she used the recoil to build some distance and somersault into a landing.

The Beowolf with the wounded leg stumbled. Ruby sheared through it before it could recover, and when the last Beowolf jumped at her, she whirled around, spinning Crescent Rose and beheading the creature in a single slash.

A creature roared, even though there were only supposed to be six Beowolves. Ruby saw it bounding towards her. It was an Ursa: burlier and larger than a Beowolf, capable of walking upright.

The creature would go down all the same. Ruby set Crescent Rose's scythe blade on the forest floor, firing round after round into the creature's hide, softening it up. The Ursa was relentless, ignoring the pain she was dishing out even as Ruby opened holes in its flesh.

She prepared to slash through its torso, but just as she did, something pierced the back of its head. Instead of cutting through its torso, Ruby sliced through its mask as the Ursa fell to its death.

When the smoke from the Ursa's corpse cleared, Ruby saw golden eyes, belonging to a girl with long black hair. Said girl retracted her blade by using a black rope attached to it, grabbing it and transforming the blade into a katana.

She still had a bow on her head, but she was dressed in a white crop-top with matching shorts that meshed with black stockings and black boots. Most of her stomach was covered by a black vest.

"Ruby?"

Ruby frowned. Of all the luck she could have had.

"Blake."


	3. Fresh Start

"So, we're going to be partners."

Ruby didn't respond to Blake. What was there to say, other than the obvious? She was going to be partners with her. This wasn't the worst-case scenario Ruby imagined, but it was certainly up there.

"Let's get going," Blake said. "The sooner we find those relics, the better."

"And then what?" Ruby asked. What Blake said was true, but it wasn't the part that made her worry.

"I don't know. We'll just have to figure it out, but we can't do that standing here."

A forest infested with soulless creatures was definitely no place to complain about who her partner was. Although, if she was wrong, Ruby would have another reason not to be partners with Blake. If she went to Ozpin with her excuses, would that be enough to get a new partner? Would there be anyone left to swap with?

Probably not.

Ruby grit her teeth. She vowed to fight through anything that came her way, whether it was the creatures of Grimm or anything else that would try to stop her. The worst thing Blake could do was be condescending. She could deal with some attitude, because if Blake tried anything, Ruby would put her foot down.

"What are we waiting for?"

Blake sheathed her katana, turned her back to her and walked ahead. This would've been a great opportunity to bolt in the other direction. Instead, Ruby holstered Crescent Rose and followed her new partner.

* * *

Their trek through the forest was done quietly, and it wasn't because they wanted the Grimm to hear them. If anyone was going to start a conversation, it probably wouldn't be Blake, which didn't surprise Ruby one bit. She wasn't sure what they could possibly talk about. If she was with Yang, making conversation would be smooth and easy as breathing.

Unfortunately, Ruby wasn't with Yang, she was with Blake. At least she could use the silence to come to terms with that. In the meantime, Blake navigated through the forest with a keen eye, moving with swift efficiency through the thick underbrush and swerving around trees without breaking her stride. Ruby watched what Blake couldn't, just in case a Grimm was lurking around.

If Blake noticed, she didn't object.

Eventually, their surroundings changed, long and densely packed trees giving way to an open clearing. It took Ruby longer than she'd ever admit to notice how Blake had rolled to a stop. That wasn't her fault: she'd fallen into a rhythm, focusing on the sound of her breathing and her fleet-footed steps, not wanting to break a fallen branch or trip over a gnarled root.

"This must be it," Blake said, as if she hadn't noticed how Ruby had gone ahead.

'It' had to mean the concrete structure at the bottom of the hill. Part of the circular roof had fallen into the grass, along with scattered pieces of brick that supported it. However, the majority of the structure was still intact. Gold and black chess pieces were located inside, standing on several pedestals that were set in a circle.

"Those must be the relics," Ruby said. She glanced at Blake, before jogging down the hill. Her guess was proven right, as four of the chess pieces had already been taken.

"Want to pick one?"

Blake was right behind her, staring at one of the chess pieces, or rather, the relics. Ruby nearly jumped out of her boots, even though there was nothing to fear.

"Don't you want to do it?"

"It's your call."

It didn't look like Blake was itching to grab one of the relics. Maybe she was just being nice? That would've been great, except Blake might have been humouring her, giving the little girl a chance to make a decision that didn't really mean all that much.

No. That wasn't fair. Whatever Blake's reasoning was, Ruby wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth, so she grabbed the gold horse.

"A knight, huh?" A slight smile curved Blake's lips. "Not a bad choice."

A knight was agile and graceful, skipping around the chessboard and claiming pieces from unexpected angles. They were often heroes as well, though heroes came in all shapes and sizes. It was a pretty good reminder to have.

"I agree."

Blake nodded. "Next stop, the cliffs. Ready to go?"

Ruby looked at the gold knight once more, before giving Blake a nod. "I'm ready."

Blake walked out of the abandoned temple, back facing Ruby once again. She wasn't waiting for Ruby to catch up, but she didn't seem to mind that Ruby was watching her back, even though she suspected that her new partner had killed someone. Did she really trust her already, or was it something else that motivated her? Maybe she didn't feel threatened.

Second-guessing herself wouldn't get Ruby anywhere. Making it back with the relic would, so Ruby followed her partner. When she crested the hill, Ruby gave the temple once last look. Just before she turned, she saw a shock of blonde hair emerging from the forest behind it.

"Yang?" Ruby said.

"Who's Yang?" Blake asked.

Ruby grinned. "My sister."

She ran down the hill, and caught up to Yang just as she reached the temple.

"Ruby!" Yang said, smiling brightly.

"Yang!" Ruby said, smiling just as brightly.

Ruby threw her arms around her sister, and Yang caught her with ease. They hugged each other tightly, before Yang let go.

"It's great to see you, Ruby. Already get your relic?"

Ruby nodded. Silver eyes made eye contact with lilac ones. "I did."

Yang glanced at the gold knight Ruby was holding.

"That's one cute little pony you're holding."

She held the relic out, looking at it in a new light.

"I guess it is."

Yang walked over to the other gold knight piece and picked it up. "Now I've got one for myself."

Already, Ruby felt her spirits starting to soar. She had to ask.

"Did you find a partner, Yang?"

"I did." Yang looked in the direction of the forest she just came out of. "She'll be coming right about... now."

Ruby wanted to pout, but even if Yang was on her own, Blake would still be her partner. Hopefully, they ended up on the same team.

"Yang!"

A flinch made Ruby's spine tingle. That voice... it couldn't be, but when Weiss Schnee entered the temple, fierce scowl twisting her face, Ruby's grip on her relic tightened.

"What makes you think you can run off on me?" she said, putting her hands on her hips.

Yang smiled a disarming smile. "I thought you could catch up."

"Well, I could, but we're supposed to be partners. Or did you forget that when you left me behind?"

Ruby looked at her sister, who shrugged, as if she'd say 'what can I do?' if Weiss couldn't hear her.

"I'd never forget," Yang said. "You wouldn't let me."

Weiss scoffed. "You got that right." She made eye contact with Ruby, and a sheepish smile appeared on Ruby's face, suddenly grateful that she dodged that bullet. "Ruby. Good to see you."

"You... too?"

She nodded, letting her hands cascade to her sides. "Found yourself a partner, I see."

Ruby followed Weiss' stare, finding Blake standing right behind her.

"You're Weiss Schnee," Blake said.

Weiss puffed out her chest. "I am. I see my reputation precedes me."

Blake frowned. "Considering your family's company, I wouldn't call that a good thing."

"Excuse me?"

"I could go on, in excruciating detail."

Yang took a step forward, hands raised in a placating gesture. "Come on, this isn't the place to fight. We don't even know the name of Ruby's new partner!"

Blake shook her head. "I'm Blake. You're Ruby's sister, right?"

"That's right, I'm Yang." Ruby saw the realization dawn on Yang's face, and froze. "We have a lot to talk about, Blake."

"We do?"

Yang scowled. "Oh, we definitely do!"

An ear-splitting scream reverberated across the clearing, before Yang could make good on her burst of anger.

"Did you hear that?" Ruby asked.

"We all heard that," Weiss said, letting one hand rest on the hilt of her rapier. A few seconds later, Ruby saw Jaune sailing through the air towards them. Blake rushed forward, transforming her weapon into a sickle and tossing it with a long ribbon, wrapping around Jaune like she was wielding a lasso.

With a harsh tug, Blake redirected Jaune's trajectory downwards, but instead of hitting the grass, Yang caught him in her arms.

"You alright, tough guy?" Yang asked.

"Yeah..." Jaune looked up, then clambered to a standing position, gaping like a fish. "There's a big scorpion, and it's coming here! Now!"

"Seriously?" Weiss said.

A Grimm that looked like a giant scorpion, complete with white armour plating around its body and a golden stinger, was chasing after red-haired Pyrrha Nikos.

Ruby hid her relic in one of her pouches, then rushed in front of Yang and Jaune, shifting Crescent Rose into its sniper rifle form and firing at the Deathstalker, distracting it so that Pyrrha could get to safety.

"Thank you!" Pyrrha said as she crossed past Ruby.

"You're welcome!" Ruby said in return, continuing to fire until she had to reload.

Pyrrha skidded to a stop next to Jaune, not a hair out of place. "You okay, Jaune?"

Jaune looked down at the rope wrapped around his waist. "Uh, a little help?"

"Step back," Blake said. Yang did, as did Ruby and Pyrrha. In one fluid motion, Blake retracted her ribbon, catching her sickle once it reached her hand.

"Thanks!" Jaune said. Blake gave him a firm nod, before running towards the Deathstalker.

"Show off," Yang said.

Ruby looked at her sister, shock written on her face. "Really, Yang?"

She smirked, but it lacked her regular humour. "Takes one to know one. Anyway, there are bigger fish to fry."

That was true, as the Deathstalker hadn't stopped charging towards them. Someone was screaming high above them, and it turned out to be a girl with bright orange hair, grinning from ear to ear as she dived down, followed by her partner. Unlike her, he wasn't making a sound, face frozen in a rictus of fear and determination.

Under normal circumstances, taking a trip on a Nevermore would've been the right mix of crazy and really, really cool, except for the fact that the massive bird Grimm hadn't left. It was circling around them, its horrid roar promising pain to anyone it caught in its very sharp talons.

Not only that, the orange-haired girl wasn't diving towards the temple, but the Deathstalker, bringing down a giant hammer to crush it completely. That didn't happen as the Deathstalker sprung back, and the moment the hammer cracked the earth beneath, it jabbed its golden stinger at her head.

"Nora!" the girl's partner screamed.

Yang growled underneath her breath, then stepped ahead of Ruby and fired two shots from her gauntlets, as Nora's partner blasted the Deathstalker's hide with twin green pistols. Their combined fire managed to distract the Grimm, giving Nora enough time to get back on her feet as her partner landed at her side.

"We made it, Ren!" Nora said.

Ren frowned. "I suppose we did."

However, Nora and Ren weren't out of the woods yet, as the Deathstalker was rearing for another attack.

"We have to distract the Grimm," Blake said. This time, Ruby wasn't shocked to see her arrive. She'd probably have to get used to this.

"What's your master plan?" Yang said with barely disguised disdain.

Ruby grimaced. "I'll draw its attention with gunfire. Yang, you get in close and make sure that Nora and Ren get out safely."

Yang rolled her head, then gave Ruby a thumbs-up. "Sounds like a plan to me."

"I can help you distract the Grimm," Blake said. To demonstrate, she flipped her sickle, revealing that the back-end was actually a pistol.

Ruby nodded. "That's great. We'll need all the help we can get."

"You won't be going in there alone, Yang," Weiss said, reaching their position, rapier in hand. All four of them were standing together.

"I'm counting on you, Weiss," Yang said.

Blake stared at Ruby. "Give us the signal."

Ruby took one glance at the battlefield ahead. "Let's do this."

Yang ran ahead, using Ember Celica to catch the Deathstalker's attention. Ren tapped Nora's shoulder, angling his head in their direction. She nodded, and both of them immediately made a break for it. A few seconds later, Yang passed them by.

The Deathstalker scuttled forward, not willing to let its prey go. Yang met the Grimm in a clash of pincer and gauntlet, buckling from the force of the strike. She sprung back from the dangerously quick stinger as Ruby dashed ahead, firing bullets from Crescent Rose as Blake added to the storm with lancing purple blasts.

Together, their fire was only enough to inconvenience the giant scorpion, but they didn't want to defeat it, just distract it. Yang jumped back, firing shotgun blasts at the Deathstalker, giving Weiss the chance to fly in, rapier pointing forward as if she was jousting.

With a powerful swung, white glowing symbols appeared in a line between her and the Grimm. Then, Weiss stabbed the grass with her rapier. Ice sprouted, rising faster and faster as it met each symbol, until it swarmed the Deathstalker in its freezing grip.

Weiss turned, a proud smirk on her face. That was when the ice began to crack, making Weiss' blue eyes bug out, wiping her pride away.

Fortunately, Nora and Ren were out of the way, having passed Ruby with a grin and a respectful nod.

"Time to go!" Ruby said.

The four of them bolted towards the temple, and when they reached it, Weiss recoiled at the sight of Jaune and Pyrrha together.

"I can't believe Pyrrha's partners with him!" Weiss said.

"Complain about that later!" Yang said.

The Deathstalker had broken free of the ice and continued the chase, gaining on them as the Nevermore's presence loomed above, gaining on Ruby and the others with swift, steady beats of its massive wings.

Leaving the temple behind, Ruby saw Pyrrha running alongside them, Jaune in tow with a gold rook in his hand. Nora had taken a brief stop at the temple along with Ren, and she was clutching an identical gold rook. Eventually, their rush to get away from the Grimm led the eight of them to a series of abandoned ruins, nothing but fog below the stone bridge.

"What do we do now?" Jaune asked.

Running away had led them all to an effective dead end, and with the Grimm not willing to give up, there were two options left for Ruby and the others to take: either someone distracted the Grimm so that everyone else could escape to safety – and hope that person could find their own way out, or they fought as one team in order to defeat the threat standing in front of them.

The first option wouldn't work for long. Luckily, the second option was the only choice Ruby wanted to make.

Ruby's silver eyes glinted. "We fight."

* * *

Fight, they did. Ruby and her fellow students combined their various talents and weapons and showed no fear. As a result, they destroyed the Deathstalker along with the stone bridge beneath it. Nailing the Nevermore down was tougher, but they managed to catch it against a cliff. With Weiss' glyphs boosting her speed and Blake's weapon propelling Ruby's jump, Ruby was able to dash to the summit of that cliff and behead the Nevermore.

Defeating the Grimm wasn't part of their mission, but it had helped them bring their relics to Professor Ozpin. Not only that, it had made one thing quite clear. Ruby could take a stand and defend other people without screwing things up. She did a lot better than last time because she had allies to pick up her slack and work alongside her.

Now, Ruby stood alongside her new team inside Beacon Academy's amphitheatre, where they were being presented in front of a large audience. Jaune had been assigned leader of Team JNPR, chosen by Professor Ozpin to work with Pyrrha, the energetic Nora Valkyrie and the reserved Lie Ren.

Ruby hoped Jaune could pull it off, but it seemed like Pyrrha was utterly pleased with Jaune's new position. Once they had stepped aside, it was their turn to stand before Beacon's headmaster.

"And finally, Blake Belladonna, Weiss Schnee, Yang Xiao Long, and Ruby Rose, as you four retrieved the gold knight pieces, you shall be known as Team RWBY, to be led by none other than Ruby Rose!"

Ruby's mouth fell open as applause rang across the hall. She was going to lead a team? Her?

"I'm sure you'll do quite well, Ms. Rose," Ozpin said, a warm smile on his face. "Congratulations."

Yang slung her arm around Ruby's shoulders before Ruby could say anything. "You're gonna be an awesome leader, Ruby!"

Ruby looked at Yang's proud grin, and felt warmth suffuse her chest. "Thanks, Yang."

She saw Weiss gasp, but it was quickly hidden, replaced by a calculating stare. Blake gave Ruby a small smile. At least it seemed like she had her new partner's support, so maybe this partnership wouldn't be all that bad.

After that, they were led into a whirlwind of schedules and orientation. While they learned where their classes would be and all that, it was kind of overwhelming. After things settled down, Ruby wandered into the courtyard around Beacon's entrance, just trying to process everything that happened on her own.

Being a leader wasn't something she could've possibly imagined happening to her, but right now, she had taken her first step on the road to being a huntress. Not only that, she had a partner who was honestly kind of mystifying. Maybe she could ask her what was up, since she was in the courtyard, too, walking towards her.

"Hello, Ruby," Blake said.

Ruby calmed down. There was no reason to be completely on guard all the time, especially since they were the only people around.

"Hi."

Blake came to a stop about a foot away from Ruby, hands set around her waist. "Congratulations on being chosen as our leader."

Ruby's mouth wobbled, a smile threatening to appear. She didn't let it. "Thank you. I'm going to do my best."

"I'm sure you will."

She bounced from foot to foot. Ruby rubbed the back of her neck. This was getting awkward. What could she possibly say? She opened her mouth, willing to go with the first thing that came to mind, but Blake beat her to the punch.

"I owe you an apology. I was completely in the wrong for looking down on you just because you wanted to be like a storybook hero. Considering what you went through, what I said was the last thing you needed to hear."

Ruby blinked once, eyes wide. Then she smiled. "Apology accepted, Blake. I'm sorry for shouting at you."

"I deserved it. You were right: I didn't know what you were coping with, but I assumed I did, which is something I shouldn't have done."

"It hasn't been easy. Um..."

Blake raised a hand. "You don't have to talk about it you aren't comfortable."

A sigh passed through Ruby's lips, and the tension in her body began to release itself. "I appreciate it."

Blake nodded, and extended her hand. "I'm looking forward to being your partner, Ruby."

She looked at her hand, saw the hint of concern threaten to overwhelm her golden eyes. That wouldn't do, so Ruby clasped Blake's hand in hers. It was pretty firm, and warm.

"I think we'll make a good team, Blake."

"I do, too."

They exchanged a smile. Blake's show of support staved off Ruby's fear that she wouldn't show her any respect just because of her age. Not only that, she sympathized with her, too, something that meant a whole lot.

Blake was still a mystery to her, but Ruby was actually looking forward to spending time with her. They could find things to talk about, she could learn more about her weapon, and hopefully, she'd be able to make another friend.

* * *

Ruby left the courtyard, wanting to walk around some more. Blake planned on joining her, but she heard footsteps rapidly approaching her location. They belonged to Yang, who prowled into her personal space, fists clenched.

"Hello, Yang."

"Blake."

Blake faced Yang fully, making eye contact with Ruby's older sister. She was met with a fierce glare, but she didn't flinch or look away.

"I saw you shaking hands with Ruby," Yang said. "Does that mean you apologized to her?"

"I did."

Yang tilted her head, looking like she was sizing Blake up. A long moment passed, before she dropped her shoulders, loosening her fists.

"Good. Ruby's been through a lot. She doesn't need you talking down to her."

Blake pursed her lips. "I know. She proved me wrong."

A blazing smile crossed Yang's face. "Of course she did. We're talking about my sister here."

She smiled, too. "Ruby can definitely handle herself. I know that much, so I won't try to make her feel small."

"But you will watch out for her, now that you're her partner."

There was an underlying threat lacing Yang's words, but Blake chose to ignore it.

"Don't worry, I'm going to help your sister."

Yang's intense smile dialled down a notch. "Glad to hear it, Blake. Don't let me down."

She didn't need Yang to motivate her. For both Ruby's sake, and her own, Blake was going to help her new partner out. That way, she could make good on her fresh start at Beacon Academy and put her past behind her, where it belonged.


	4. Take A Stand

Focusing on Professor Port's lecture wasn't easy. Even though Ruby didn't get a lot of sleep last night, she could still muster up the energy and the motivation to renovate their new dorms with some masterfully crafted bunk beds and all their stuff. This Grimm Studies class wasn't as exciting, and all she felt like doing was sleeping, or drawing some funny pictures.

Maybe rushing to beat the bell wasn't the best idea, but she didn't want to be late to her first class at Beacon. That was why she tried to pay attention, because she really did want to learn. Unfortunately, she was already lost, almost as lost as Professor Port was in regaling his past tales and the vigour that coursed through his veins as he captured a particularly wily Beowolf.

The diagrams on the board had Beowolves and other Grimm drawn in fine detail. While Ruby already knew their various weaknesses from personal experience, they were very handy to have as a reference, containing information even she didn't know about.

Writing down that information didn't take long, leaving her a lot of time to listen to the ongoing lecture, or better yet, see what her teammates were doing. Blake was hard at work scribbling something down, Yang was toying around with a pen, smiling at Ruby when they made eye contact, and Weiss was watching her when she wasn't taking notes.

In fact, it felt like she'd been watching her every move. It put Ruby on edge, and what made matters worse was that Weiss was still itching to learn about Torchwick's death, making it only a matter of time until she forced the issue.

"Who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?"

Ruby blinked, trying to remember what Professor Port said last, before drawing a blank. Weiss' hand shot into the air.

"Ruby does!" Weiss said.

"Is that true, Ms. Rose?"

"Yes?"

The old professor chortled. "In that case, step forward, and face your opponent!"

Weiss shot Ruby a sly smirk, one Ruby immediately looked away from. Blake shook her head, muttering something Ruby couldn't make out. Yang scowled, clutching her pen so tightly that it nearly snapped.

What had Weiss gotten her into?

That was when Ruby noticed the rattling cage, the red eyes that peered from within the darkness. Ruby swallowed deeply, a strained frown crossing her face.

Worst-case scenario, the beast within was just a Grimm. Ruby could beat a Grimm, and if she couldn't... Professor Port was there, ready to kill the Grimm with his axe.

She stood up, getting permission from Professor Port to go into the nearby changing room. In there, she could put on her favourite outfit and grab Crescent Rose. Thank goodness for rocket-propelled lockers.

Getting changed wasn't difficult, but Ruby clung onto her locker door until the metal began to creak. There was no reason to be afraid. It was only a Grimm. She wasn't fighting a human or a Faunus.

Ruby closed the locker. When she returned, she heard Yang whistle.

"Show it what you're made of, Ruby!" she said.

"You can do this!" Blake said.

Ruby wanted to smile at them both, grateful for their support, but she decided to focus on the beast that she was about to fight instead.

"I'm ready, Professor," Ruby said.

Upon seeing him nod, Ruby transformed Crescent Rose into its scythe form and immediately heard a smattering of whispers, ones she couldn't quite make out thanks to all the growling coming from the cage.

A Boarbatusk erupted out, seething with a four-eyed glare, its bone-white tusks gleaming as it kicked off the floor, preparing to charge. The second it did, Ruby had already sprinted to the side. There was enough space in the impromptu arena for it to move around without being boxed in by narrow hallways.

Getting gored by those sharp tusks would really hurt, and with the armour plates covering its burly body, it could take a slash from Crescent Rose and survive. It probably wouldn't be hurt if it slammed against a wall... but that didn't mean it couldn't fall. She quickly formed a plan: get its soft belly exposed and cut through its bloodless hide.

She waited for the Boarbatusk to make its move. In spite of its sharp speed, Ruby was faster, and forced it to crash into a desk, already behind it. Just before she could slice through its hind legs, the Grimm kicked out, catching her in the face with its cloven hooves and knocking her head back. Her Aura held fast, protecting her from the worst of its attack.

It wouldn't happen again.

The Boarbatusk recovered, racing towards her. Ruby moved around its rapid sprints until she put herself between it and the wall next to the entrance. This time, when it moved, Ruby went low, hooking Crescent Rose's blade into its front legs.

Then, she stood and heaved, using its momentum to flip it over, cleaving through its leg in the process. Before it could flip through the air, crash against the wall and take her prized weapon with it, Ruby pulled her scythe away and spun on the spot, twirling Crescent Rose into a horizontal position.

She blazed forward as fast as possible and sliced through the Boarbatusk's belly, her desperate scream drowning out its dying squeal. Smoke billowed from its remains as they turned to ash, but her job was done, so she sheathed Crescent Rose.

"Excellent work, Ms. Rose!" Professor Port said. It sounded like he was happy, but his moustache covered his mouth, so she couldn't tell if he was smiling or not. "It appears that your early entrance into Beacon was well warranted."

"Thanks, Professor," Ruby said.

"Way to go, Ruby!" Yang said. Blake clapped, giving Ruby a warm smile. The other students began to murmur among themselves, but it was Weiss' reaction that grabbed her attention. She wasn't shocked, she just gave Ruby a congratulatory nod, as if she expected the Boarbatusk's swift defeat would happen.

It made Ruby's sweet victory turn a bit bitter, like ashes churning in her mouth.

* * *

Ruby wanted to confront Weiss over her little stunt, fully intending on giving her so-called teammate a piece of her mind, but Yang came in and whisked her away before she could get the chance.

She saw some of the other students approaching her, but Blake had arrived first.

"Let's get going, Ruby," Blake said.

Faced with choosing between spending time with her new partner and having to possibly talk to people she didn't know, the right choice was obvious.

"I'm right behind you," Ruby said.

Together, Ruby walked alongside Blake to the changing room nearby, Blake's presence keeping the other students from asking questions. It was quiet, but Ruby didn't mind.

With all the privacy she could ever want, Ruby was able to put on her school uniform and put away Crescent Rose and her combat outfit. Once she sent her locker away with her scroll, Ruby joined Blake, who was watching out for her while she got dressed.

"You all set?" Blake asked.

Ruby nodded. "I am."

A smile appeared on Blake's face. "You did great against that Grimm."

"Thanks."

"No problem." Blake suddenly frowned. "I don't know what that girl was thinking."

Ruby's face fell. "I don't know, either."

They made eye contact. Blake's eyes were firm. "Don't let her bother you. You took care of Weiss before, so the next time she tries something, make sure she gets the message. If you need someone to watch your back, I'm right here to help you."

A small smile broke through Ruby's gloom. "I really appreciate that, Blake."

Thanks to Blake's help, Ruby was able to put Weiss out of mind as she attended the rest of her day's classes – from World History with Professor Oobleck to her favourite class so far, Weapon Crafting and Upkeep – and did her best to learn. Professor Mulberry was attentive and very methodical, which was absolutely necessary when it came to providing the care a weapon needed to function to the best of its ability.

Unfortunately, what should've been an amazing class was tainted by the fact that more people had seen her with Crescent Rose, connecting her to the red scythe that was seen in Roman Torchwick's last battle. It wasn't as if she could pass off the scythe as someone else's weapon, because it was a weapon rarely wielded in the first place, and Professor Mulberry wanted to see their weapons in the flesh.

Since she wasn't attending this class with her teammates, Ruby left on her own after the bell rang. She kept to herself, pulling her hood over her head and moving quickly. It wasn't right that she had to do this, but she didn't want to draw any more attention to herself than she already had.

Before she could reach her last class of the day, however, a girl approached her, a kind smile on her face.

"Hey there!" she said.

Ruby bit her lip. There was no escape in sight. "Hi."

"I saw you fight that Boarbatusk in Professor Port's class, you were so cool!"

Ruby took another look at the girl, and vaguely recognized her dark brown ponytail and forest green hairband from her Grimm Studies class.

"I just did what anyone would've done."

She still appreciated the compliment. Although, from the way the brown-haired girl's brown eyes widened, this conversation was far from done.

"You made it look really easy. I might have beaten it, but not as quickly as you did."

Ruby shrugged. "I guess. Do you... want advice or something?"

The girl shook her head. "Not really, but I do want to ask something else, if you don't mind. You have a red scythe, don't you?"

If she could talk about Crescent Rose without concern, she'd do it, gush about how awesome it was. Instead, Ruby's face tightened and she tapped her foot, itching to leave in a way that wouldn't be rude.

"What about it?"

"Did you hear about what happened to Roman Torchwick? He was this big gang leader who got killed in a fight with someone who wielded a red scythe. Since you have one, maybe you're curious about who that scythe belonged to?"

Ruby frowned. This girl didn't seem to be all that bad, but she didn't even know her name. Not that she really wanted to know that right now, since she was just fishing for gossip. There had to be a way for her to end this conversation tactfully. Even if she never saw this girl again, it wouldn't be right if she hurt her feelings for no good reason.

"It might be cool to pick their brain, but I'd rather leave them alone."

The girl nodded. "I see what you mean. It's just, imagine what it must be like to take someone down like that. Roman Torchwick smuggled a lot of Dust, so does that mean there'll be a scramble to claim his resources or his turf? Maybe this killer was a rival of his, so if they're here at Beacon, why were they allowed to come?"

She went on, asking questions that Ruby wasn't equipped to answer without giving herself away. It was time to make her decision, before she became late to her class.

"Can't you see you're making her uncomfortable?"

Ruby's heart skipped a beat. Weiss had joined them, arms crossed as she looked down on the girl next to Ruby. Said girl flinched, wilting from Weiss' imperious glare.

"I didn't mean to! Sorry, I just never got a chance to talk about this stuff."

"Find someone else to talk to," Weiss said.

The girl's jaw wobbled, and she looked Ruby's way, hope for some kind of defense written in her expression.

"I don't have the answers you're looking for, but I really do think that whoever did it just wants to be left alone."

She breathed in, smiling. "Okay, I think you've got a point. Thanks for listening." Then, she turned tail and left them behind.

"You couldn't have told her to get lost?" Weiss asked.

Ruby frowned. "No. Why did you volunteer me to fight that Grimm?"

Weiss unfolded her arms, and to her surprise, she grimaced. "I knew you could handle yourself, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't wrong. I wasn't, by the way. However, your sister made it clear that I might not have made the wisest decision."

She growled under her breath. Now that they were the only ones around, she pulled her hood down.

"Oh no, Weiss Schnee made a mistake. The horror."

Weiss scoffed. "You don't have to rub it in."

Ruby scowled. "Don't do this again."

She fully expected Weiss to push back.

"Don't worry, I won't," she said.

Instead, she didn't. Ruby nodded.

"Good."

With that settled for the time being, Ruby quickly checked her scroll. Less than two minutes before class begun, and she was falling behind, so she walked ahead, Weiss coming into step beside her. If Weiss was willing to admit to her mistakes, maybe she could try and extend an olive branch of her own.

"Thanks for helping me out with that girl, Weiss."

A frown lined Weiss' face. "Don't thank me. I'm only doing what you should have done. If you won't tell me the truth, you can at least extend that same courtesy to everyone else."

Ruby's frown returned. "If you can show me that you won't tell anyone else, I'll tell you what you want to know."

Weiss' heels stopped clicking against the concrete. Ruby faced her, and saw a pensive look envelop her features.

"Deal," Weiss said. "But you know something, Ruby? Seeing you cower away whenever this rumour comes up is pretty pathetic. Don't let it happen again."

Weiss strode forward, past Ruby. Ruby just stood there, struck by Weiss' harsh words. What made them really sting was the fact that she wasn't wrong.

* * *

Over the next couple of days, the rumours surrounding Roman Torchwick's death had been blown into a frenzy, now that it was all but confirmed that his killer was attending Beacon. Some of the things Ruby heard were pretty crazy, like the rumour where the killer was a sentient Grimm who devoured the souls of her victims, coming to Beacon so she could learn to infiltrate and destroy the Grimm.

She wished all the rumours were like that. One time, she heard a couple of students talking about the 'Red Reaper', disgusted by the fact that Professor Ozpin would allow murderers to join his school. When she came close to those students, they clammed up, but they didn't look at her any differently.

It didn't make their accusations hurt any less.

These rumours should've been nothing but empty words said by people who didn't know any better, but no matter how many times she told herself that, it only made hearing those words marginally easier to stomach.

Yang told her to own those rumours, but what would happen if she did? People would know that she killed a gang leader, but if they only knew that she did it because she was trying to defend innocent people, would that keep her from being rejected? Would it wash the blood off her hands?

She didn't know, and she was too afraid to take the risk. It wasn't like fighting: she could fight Grimm without hesitation and take down Roman Torchwick on her own, but that didn't mean she was good at dealing with people.

That was why Ruby was so grateful for her teammates' support. Yang was always trying to prop her up and boost her morale, just like she always did. She wasn't only her sister, she was the best friend Ruby could ever ask for. If Yang was the only one on her side, it would be enough, but Blake was helping her, too.

Whenever Ruby lost focus in class, Blake would keep her awake, or share her very thorough notes with her. Blake was also a pretty good study partner, always willing to help her with her homework. When they walked to class, Blake would listen to Ruby carefully and share her own thoughts, even though she wasn't one to talk when it wasn't necessary.

They were slowly becoming friends.

However, Weiss was a different story. Whenever they were in public, Weiss would get rid of nosy students hunting for more accurate rumours, and do her part in team lessons. She didn't put her on the spot again, and she didn't ask her about the rumours, either.

But that didn't mean Weiss had done a 180° turn on her attitude. She kept on scrutinizing her choices, taking her to task whenever Yang or Blake weren't around. When Ruby asked her what she was doing, Weiss' response was pretty blunt.

" _You're our leader. Act like it."_

Weiss' fixation on Ruby's position really stood out. Ruby never asked to be made Team RWBY's leader, but she'd been chosen anyway, and she wasn't sure why Weiss cared so much. At the end of the day, it was Weiss' business, not hers.

Now that classes were over, Ruby was ready to get back to her dorm and chill for a bit before she took care of her homework. Since Yang and Blake weren't around to walk with her, Ruby hustled through Beacon's halls, hoping she wouldn't she come across anyone hungry for information.

Ruby had taken Weiss' words to heart, trying not to hide away from people asking her about the rumours, but it was better if she didn't talk to anyone.

"Hey, Ruby, wait up!"

Ruby stiffened, and looked over her shoulder. Then, she relaxed; it was just Jaune, who didn't seem to care about the rumours at all. Once Jaune caught up, she smiled at him.

"How's it hanging, Jaune?"

Jaune smiled, though it was weary. "I'm okay. Just wish these classes were a bit easier."

"There's a lot of homework, isn't there?"

"Too much homework, in my humble opinion." They walked back to their dorms together. "They expect you to know a lot of stuff right off the bat, and if you don't know them, well..."

Ruby smiled, immediately knowing where Jaune was coming from. "You have to catch up."

She was technically two years behind the rest of her peers, but most of the work they'd been doing hadn't been too hard for Ruby to grasp, and when it came to combat, Grimm Studies and weapon upkeep, she was already ahead of the curve.

"I've tried doing that, but it's a lot of work."

"Did you ask your teammates for help?"

"Not really. I'm their leader. They have to be coming to me for assistance, not the other way around."

Ruby frowned. "Why do you say that?"

"Isn't that what a leader does? Don't get me wrong, my team's great. I get along with everyone, and they've been really considerate, but Ozpin put me in charge. I don't know why he did, but I have to live up to that responsibility, be the pillar of strength that Team JNPR can rely on. If I ask for help, then I'm showing weakness. Can't have that in a leader."

That... didn't sound right to Ruby. All three of her teammates were more than willing to help her when she was stuck, whether she asked for it or not. She wasn't afraid to ask for help either, because they were united on the same team. Still, being a pillar of strength and reliance was a rather intriguing thought.

"I think you should accept your teammates' help. You've listened to our advice before, so why not give it a shot?"

Jaune frowned. "I'll think about it." He pursed his lips. "You know, your advice really helped me. Now I know that if I want to spend time with Weiss, I have to earn her respect, and I can only do that by improving myself. It's not what I expected to do, but I want to show her and my team that I can put in the work."

Ruby smiled. "Sounds like you're on the right track. Just remember: you were put on a team for a good reason."

Jaune chuckled. "Yeah, I guess you've got a point."

In what felt like no time at all, they had arrived at their destination. It was pretty convenient that their rooms were on opposite sides of one another.

"Well, it was nice talking to you, Jaune. Good luck with your studies."

He smiled. "Thanks, Ruby. I'll need it."

Once Ruby entered her room, she climbed onto her bed and stared at the ceiling, just trying to relax. While her breathing slowed down and her muscles began to loosen up, her brain was still spinning around in a mad rush, the idea of leadership dominating her thoughts.

A true huntsman was supposed to be honourable, dependable, strategic, well-educated and wise. Ruby used this ideal as a guide for her leadership, but after talking to Jaune, she started to wonder if she was on the right track.

When she imagined a pillar of strength, she imagined Yang. She could always go to Yang with her problems, and Yang always stood up for her when she had to, but did those qualities make Yang a good leader? She wasn't sure. Maybe she could ask her, but at the moment, Ruby was the only one in Team RWBY's dorm, so that would have to wait.

In the meantime, she could try and figure out what being a pillar of strength required on her own. First, she'd change into more comfortable clothes, so she climbed off her bunk bed and landed safely.

Just before she made it to the closets, the door flew open. Weiss came inside, walking straight to her.

"It's just you in here?" Weiss asked.

"Yep."

She smirked. "Good. I have a proposition for you, Ruby. Fight me, in a duel, for your position as leader of Team RWBY."

Ruby flinched. Her mouth opened, then closed. She said the only thing she could think of.

"Why?"

Weiss' little smirk hadn't wavered. "You clearly have some skill, but your leadership leaves a lot to be desired. I know for a fact that I can give our team the leadership it deserves. By beating you, I'll prove that I'm more capable than you are in battle."

Her fists balled themselves into fists. "What happens if I don't accept? You can't force me to do anything, you know."

"I know, but do you know what I think?"

Weiss' smirk evaporated the moment she made eye contact, and her stare chilled Ruby to the bone.

"You'd be better served by not having to bear the weight of leadership on your dainty little shoulders. That way, all you can worry about are those vapid rumours that are circulating around the school and leave what truly matters to those capable of handling the pressure."

Ruby scowled. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing. Whatever I want, I seize. However, I've seen what you can do in a fight, so I'm giving you a chance to prove yourself and prove to me that Ozpin didn't make a mistake. You'll get until tomorrow morning to make your decision."

Weiss spun on her foot, treading into the bathroom because she assumed this conversation was over. But it wasn't. It was time for Ruby to take a stand.

"When do you want to fight?"

Weiss stopped moving, and turned around. Ruby closed the distance. She glared up at Weiss, not caring all that she was taller or older or more confident, and held her glare until Weiss blinked.

A smile curled her lip upward, unsettling.

"We'll be fighting in Professor Goodwitch's combat class. The first one to have their Aura depleted will be the loser. Do you agree to those terms, and the proposition I set?"

Ruby gave one, hard nod. "You're on, Weiss."

Weiss' smile grew. "Then may the better huntress win."


	5. Duel

From Yang, Blake and her other classmates watching in the stands to Professor Goodwitch standing vigil in the middle of the arena, Ruby felt all sorts of eyes watching her. However, the only thing she devoted her attention to was her opponent.

Weiss held her rapier in a firm left-handed grip, feet pressed next to each other, facial features chiselled into a cold visage showing no mocking smiles, no cold glares, nothing but single-minded concentration.

"Are you ready?" Professor Goodwitch asked.

A single nod was Weiss' answer. She didn't waver from her stance for a single second.

"I'm ready," Ruby said. Crescent Rose was in her hands, her muscles coiled to move at a moment's notice, breathing steady and calm. All of the thoughts that bothered her were in a distant corner of her mind, locked tight by her focus on the task at hand.

That focus let her prepare properly, rather than panic and despair over what might happen if she lost to Weiss. Now, she was ready to fight.

"Begin!"

Ruby moved. One moment later, Ruby was within cutting distance, bringing down Crescent Rose's blade on her opponent. It met Weiss' rapier in a clash of sparks, quickly parried to the side. Ruby whirled Crescent Rose around as Weiss brought her foot forward, blocking the riposte then a follow-up jab that extended Weiss' rapier arm too far forward.

Eager to punish, Ruby pulled Crescent Rose up, but Weiss drew back and sprung into the air, one of her Dust cartridges clicking into place. When Weiss landed, bright flames emerged from her rapier, spreading out in a wide, sweeping arc. Ruby swerved to the right, heat licking inches away from her left flank, and dashed towards her opponent.

This time, the tip of her scythe met a blue snowflake glyph, creaking for a second before Weiss pushed her up and away. Ruby rolled in the air, ready to run when she landed, but a row of white glyphs appeared in the space separating them. Weiss lanced forward frighteningly fast, accelerating further with every glyph she passed. While Ruby batted away the first strike, the force of the blow pushed her back.

Weiss didn't let up, thrusting and slashing in a frenzied flurry that put Ruby on the defensive. There was a rhythm that Ruby quickly tuned into, letting her anticipate Weiss' precise yet rigid attacks. Just as she was about to reverse Weiss' upcoming stab, Weiss hopped into a short lunge, switching between stances like Yang tended to do.

It threw Ruby off-guard and Weiss pounced, slicing Ruby's sternum with the tip of the rapier. Immediately after, Weiss lashed out, a predator's hunger twisting her cold stare. Ruby dashed away, putting some distance between them. She took in a deep breath. Weiss might have drawn first blood, but this duel was only getting started.

Another cartridge clicked into place. Seconds later, ice surged forth. Ruby dodged to her left, glancing at the rising wall that Weiss forged, and kept on running, fully intent on circling behind Weiss. Another wave of ice emerged from Ruby's left, boxing her in and preventing her from using the wide spaces the arena offered to her advantage.

That meant she'd have to adapt. Ruby activated her semblance and flew forward, rose petals fluttering behind her, but it was taking longer for her to reach Weiss. In fact, her movements were growing more sluggish by the second. Black glyphs were set on her path, and Ruby careened to a stop just as Weiss jumped high, bouncing off a set of blue glyphs. She brought up Crescent Rose, but she was a second too slow, still under the thrall of Weiss' glyphs.

Sparks showered around Ruby as the side of her blade met Weiss' outstretched rapier. However, Weiss still clipped her shoulder, passing Ruby and hitting the ice feet first, making it crack from the force of her landing. Weiss stumbled, slipping down to the bare floor of the arena.

Ruby switched to her sniper rifle, aimed at Weiss' head like clockwork. A single shot would crush her Aura. Another fired at centre mass would deplete the rest. A third would pierce her torso, drawing rivers of blood as Weiss gasped, shock contorting her smug face, consumed by death's overwhelming grip.

Her lifeless body would collapse in a heap of tangled limbs, and she wouldn't get up to fight again, no more poisonous barbs would be uttered from her haughty mouth –

" _You got moxie, Red –"_

She gasped, staggering back, away from Torchwick – no, not him, Weiss. Only Weiss, who had climbed back to her feet, clutching her rapier a bit tighter. Ruby saw a flicker of concern flitting through her blue eyes. It was immediately snuffed out.

"Ms. Rose?" Professor Goodwitch asked, her voice confirming that Ruby had never left the arena. She was at Ruby's side, just like she was back then.

"I'm fine, Professor," Ruby said. "I can still fight."

The blonde woman examined her with careful, gentle eyes, then nodded. "We'll continue in thirty seconds."

She'd seen Ruby's fight with Torchwick, brought her to Ozpin. Professor Goodwitch hadn't been impressed by how those sordid events had unfolded, but she hadn't been unsympathetic, either. According to her, the potential Ruby had could be honed so that she wasn't forced to kill an enemy when it wasn't necessary to do so, and cope with her choice when she did.

If she was going to point her rifle at another person, she had to make sure she intended to fire. Otherwise, she'd only be putting herself at risk. Weiss – or any other enemy she faced in the future – wouldn't hesitate to capitalize if she lost focus for even a second.

That was why she accepted Weiss' proposition, so that she would have no choice but to stop running away from the big bad wolf lurking in her path to greatness, and seize control over her fear.

She let that fear control her actions rather than putting her foot down and confronting it head-on. Refusing to fight Weiss wouldn't solve the issues that made Weiss lose confidence in her ability to lead. Her worries would pile up and fester until they exploded in her face, and if that led to someone else getting hurt, she'd never forgive herself.

This wasn't a fight Ruby could afford to lose, so she was going to win. When she did, she would stand tall as the pillar of Team RWBY, ready to lead them into the future.

* * *

" _What's wrong with you?" Yang said._

_Weiss curled her lip. "Nothing."_

_Once class ended, Yang had all but dragged Weiss to a secluded corner of one of Beacon's many hallways. From the searing scowl on her face, Weiss was certain she would have hauled her away by force if she hadn't complied. Rather than indulge in Yang's unnecessary theatrics at the expense of her dignity, she walked with her partner of her own free will._

" _Then why the hell did you put Ruby on the spot like that?"_

" _She could handle it."_

" _It doesn't matter if she could handle it! You don't put her in a fight against a Grimm when she isn't prepared for it!"_

_Weiss scoffed. Ruby could have refused to fight, but she didn't._

" _Whatever. I'm not going to waste my breath pointing out the obvious."_

_She turned, about to leave, but Yang slammed her hand next to Weiss' head, crashing against the wall behind her. In spite of herself, Weiss flinched._

" _We're not finished, Weiss."_

_When Weiss saw Yang's blood-red eyes, she gulped, hoping Yang didn't notice her moment of weakness._

" _What made you think that watching Ruby fight a Grimm was a remotely good idea? Did Ruby do something that offended you?"_

_Weiss bristled. Every word that spilled out of Yang's mouth was laced with the threat of violence. Weiss wasn't surprised, since Yang seemed the type to use anger to solve all her problems, but it didn't make her any less frightening._

" _No, not directly. However, I'm not going to stand around and watch her squander the opportunity Ozpin gave her."_

_Yang smirked. "Oh, I get it. You're jealous that Ruby got something you didn't."_

_Weiss sneered, finding confidence in the midst of consternation. "Please, spare me from such nonsense. I have no reason to be jealous, and if I did, my jealousy wouldn't be the root cause of my problems!"_

" _Well, if you have a problem with Ruby, either talk to her about it, or keep it to yourself. But I'm not going to let you hurt my sister."_

_A scowl ripped itself onto Weiss' carefully crafted visage, shredding it. "That's the problem! You're so blinded by the fact that Ruby's your sister that you refuse to see what's in front of you. She hides behind you or Blake, expecting you to protect her from everything that might harm her. How can Ruby lead anyone if you're there to coddle her and keep her from facing reality?"_

_Yang clicked her tongue, but the way she flinched spoke volumes. "If Ruby's not a good leader right now, I'll be there to support her so that she can become a great leader in the future. That means giving her the help she needs so that she can stand on her own two feet. Putting Ruby on the spot won't get her anywhere, it'll just make things worse."_

" _Well, I'm not going to wait for all of that to happen. Ruby can fight, she can certainly defend herself, but I don't trust her to lead us."_

_Not when she could do better._

_Yang frowned. "It hasn't even been one day since we became a team. Can't you give Ruby a chance?"_

" _I can give her all the chances in the world, but if she won't make the most of those chances, then what's the point?"_

" _The point is that you won't make Ruby feel like she has something to prove, that she failed just because she made a mistake! With what she's going through, she needs time to build up her confidence, but she can't do that if you're making her uncomfortable, understand?"_

_Weiss frowned. What Yang had just said struck too close to home for Weiss to stomach. Perhaps she had gone ahead of herself._

" _I understand."_

" _Good to hear."_

_Yang pushed off the wall, dusting off her hand. Her eyes weren't red any longer, back to their regular lilac. Weiss let out a tiny sigh of relief._

" _Just so you know, even if Ruby wasn't my sister, I'd still help her if she asked, because that's what teammates do."_

After that meeting, Weiss had helped Ruby drive away those frivolous gossip mongers. However, she wouldn't let Ruby off lightly, and attempted to build her up without crushing her resolve. Unfortunately, her efforts were in vain, as Ruby's improvements were incremental at best, aggravating Weiss to no end.

Hence, their current situation; a fight to determine who would lead Team RWBY. Weiss wasn't certain that Ozpin would let her replace Ruby as leader, but that was besides the point.

Momentary freak-out aside, Ruby had been remarkably focused and composed throughout their duel, a far cry from her meek, anxious disposition in classes. She was incredibly quick on her feet, capable of anticipating her attacks and adapting on a whim while placing pressure on her with her scythe's long reach and its potential to pierce her defense from any angle.

This was someone Weiss wouldn't mind working with, but she still wasn't sure if this shift in behaviour was an anomaly that arose whenever Ruby fought or a sign of her potential to lead if she ever pulled herself together. That being said, Weiss was winning so far, and she wasn't willing to lose.

So far, Ruby hadn't been able to hurt her, but Weiss was pleased that Goodwitch had granted them time to rest. Thirty seconds were a lifeline Weiss was more than happy to cling onto, as she had expended a lot of her stamina in her attempt to corral Ruby's movements. She wasn't dead on her feet yet, but Ruby was showing no signs of fatigue whatsoever.

Vexing.

Yet, this fight was not over, not by a long shot. Weiss still had a reserve of Dust to use, her semblance was working as intended, and she had a solid grip on Ruby's fighting style. She could still win this.

After their break elapsed, Goodwitch had them stand within the twin walls of ice Weiss forged with Dust.

"On my mark, we'll continue," the professor said.

Weiss corrected her stance. Her shoulders were level, feet facing forward, Myrtenaster held tightly in her left hand. She resisted the urge to let her posture decay because she was tired.

Once she was set, Weiss spared a look at Ruby. There was no hint of fear, confusion or awkward whimpering present in her silver eyes or her round face, just the focus of a fighter utterly confident in their abilities.

This might not have been her greatest idea. Regardless, any concern was worthless. The gap between their skills was not insurmountable. Whoever won would lead Team RWBY. That fact was enough to bolster her resolve.

"Begin!"

Ruby pulled up her sniper rifle and, after taking a second to aim down the sights, she fired. Weiss summoned a glyph, infusing it with ice Dust to form a barrier that would shield her from harm. Each bullet packed a mighty punch, aimed at her chest, her face, even her shoulders. None of her shots missed their target.

With Myrtenaster, Weiss could guide her barrier to where she needed it to be. Unfortunately, her barrier was already beginning to crack, so she discarded it and used the remaining Dust in the cartridge to form a pillar of ice taller and wider than herself.

Taking a moment to inhale a deep breath, Weiss switched cartridges to employ lightning Dust. Hampering Ruby's impressive speed was the only way she'd keep her from running literal circles around her. First, she would improve her own speed. Weiss formed a white glyph around her body, beginning to glow brightly. The second her semblance took effect, she sprinted around the pillar.

It exploded, bearing the brunt of two high-calibre bullets, but Weiss was already away from the splash zone, Myrtenaster pointed straight ahead as she closed in on Ruby. Rather than stand and block as she'd done before, Ruby charged forward, transforming her weapon into its scythe form.

When their weapons met, sparks burst into life from the ensuing clash of steel. Ruby spun her scythe around in a single revolution that generated greater force than swinging it could muster. It didn't cost Ruby any more time to execute, either. However, Weiss was able to parry it, and quite effectively at that.

In the small interval she created with her parry, Weiss forged a black glyph beneath Ruby's feet. She immediately used her heightened speed to attack any spot Ruby left exposed, but those openings were few and far between. Ruby's movements were slower, yet her senses were still as sharp as ever, bridging the gap that Weiss created with her semblance.

As a result, Weiss was still unable to keep Ruby from blocking her attacks. This had to change, and fast. Weiss sliced forward; in the same motion, she flicked her wrist, thrusting Myrtenaster at Ruby's flank. The impromptu manoeuvre caught Ruby off-guard, allowing Weiss to score a glancing blow.

It was exactly what she wanted to see. Weiss' heartbeat began to thrum in her ears as she switched cartridges, fully intent on using fire Dust to create a horde of flames that would trap Ruby completely. Once the cartridge clicked in place, Weiss hopped back.

So did Ruby. Her scythe became a sniper rifle once again, and as Weiss landed, Ruby's bullet struck her chest. The impact of the shot rippled across her body, but her Aura held strong, allowing her to take the blow without crumpling to the arena floor.

Weiss grit her teeth. Ruby had finally landed an attack. As she was still in the air, Weiss would respond in kind.

Fire screamed in the shape of Myrtenaster's upward swing, searing towards Ruby's prone form. The recoil from her shot had carried her further away, but she was not out of reach. However, in her haste to attack Ruby, Weiss hadn't taken her surroundings into account, and with dawning horror, she watched her salvo of flames reach the wall of ice she had erected.

As for Ruby, she scaled the melting wall with her semblance, launching herself high into the air. At the apex of her jump, Ruby redirected her momentum with another deafening shot, diving to the floor. Weiss' speed-enhancing glyph hadn't worn out yet, and she wasn't remotely interested in helping Ruby form a crater from her landing, so she jumped away.

However, Ruby had employed her semblance once more, and she wasn't suffering from the effects of the time-slowing glyph. The second Ruby landed, she dashed forward, and in what felt like no time at all, she was right above her. Ruby spun once, twice, then slammed Weiss into the floor with her red scythe.

Weiss heard the impact before she felt it, yet even though her Aura dampened most of the damage, it still hurt, it hurt really, really badly. She heaved herself onto shaky feet, taking a pair of seconds to correct her footing. Ruby, on the other hand, was still standing, not one black hair out of place, seemingly content to let her regain her bearings.

The fact that Ruby had brought Weiss to her knees in only two well-timed attacks was so very, very frustrating. She had skill, but had the gap between them always been this wide? Had she been deluded by desires of grandeur when she assumed she could defeat Ruby just because Ruby was younger than her and Weiss possessed a wealth of skill born from excellent training?

She frowned. There was no point in allowing doubt to defeat her. Her Aura had not been depleted, so the outcome of this fight would be decided by her and her alone. No matter what happened, Weiss would not allow Ruby Rose to hold her back, not when her chance to forge her family's legacy on her own terms was on the line.

Once more, Weiss surged forth, but Ruby went low, catching Weiss' heel and tripping her. Weiss scowled. How dare she humiliate her like that? She rolled away from Ruby's follow-up strike, gathering her feet beneath her and springing to a standing position. Rather than transform her scythe, Ruby set it on the floor and fired a single round that exploded the second it reached Weiss.

An ice barrier was the only shield protecting Weiss from utter defeat, but it had cracked from the pressure the explosion wrought. Ruby fired another round, destroying Weiss' barrier entirely and knocking Myrtenaster from her hands. A moment later, the tip of Ruby's scythe was set against Weiss' chest, before she could bemoan the loss of her cherished rapier and try to retrieve it.

"Surrender, Weiss," Ruby said. There was no hint of doubt in Ruby's silver eyes. If Weiss refused, Ruby would strike her down. If she did that, her Aura would certainly be depleted. She thought about trying something reckless to buy some time, but was it worth the risk?

Weiss thrust her hands into her pockets, searching for a spare Dust cartridge, but Ruby slammed the blunt end of her scythe in her stomach before she could grab it. The wind was knocked out of her lungs, and she hacked and coughed, desperate for air.

If that move hadn't eliminated her Aura, the next one would, so begrudgingly, Weiss raised her hands, looking Ruby in the eye.

"I... concede."

"The winner is... Ruby Rose!" Goodwitch said, separating Weiss from Ruby.

Yang rushed into the arena to congratulate her sister, Blake coming in hot on her heels. In this case, what praise Ruby received would be well-deserved, loathe as she was to admit it.

Weiss hadn't merely lost, she surrendered. It was frustrating and annoying and so many other words that slipped her mind in the wake of her exhaustion. However, Ruby had stood her ground, faced her openly instead of cowering away in fear. That was worth commending. That was worth acknowledging, so Weiss sniffed and stared right her opponent, holding her gaze until Ruby saw her.

They made eye contact, and Weiss gave her leader a firm nod. Ruby blinked, before smiling widely and freely. It was certainly a pleasant sight, better than her guarded expressions or her fearful glances. Hopefully, Ruby would build on this, so that her victory wouldn't amount to nothing.

For now, though, Weiss decided to walk away, and nurse her wounded pride alone.


	6. Face Your Fear

Ruby was in high spirits after beating Weiss. She finally defended herself without relying on someone else to protect her, proving that she didn't have to hide away from fear, that she could embody the strength a leader needed to have.

What made her victory taste so much sweeter was the praise she received after winning her fight. Yang showed her a lot of love, Blake was very supportive, every member of Team JNPR had kind words to say, and some of the other students acknowledged her win, too.

While the true stakes behind their fight had been kept a secret, being recognized for her skills – and nothing else – was really refreshing. Unfortunately, her fight had kicked up the rumours after their combat class ended, but with how happy she was, Ruby didn't let them bring her mood down.

Because of that, Ruby slept well for the first time in days, she was focusing better in class, and she was getting better at blocking out the rumours, even when she was on her own. That being said, no one had confronted her about her role in Torchwick's death yet, and she wasn't sure if she'd be able to handle herself if that happened.

It did make Ruby wonder if they'd ever connect the dots. She got her answer a couple of days after her fight with Weiss, when she saw something stuffed in her locker's ventilation slats. It was a pink sticky note, with one word neatly written on it.

_MURDERER._

Her heart skipped a beat, a lance of fear rooting her to the spot for seconds as a shiver slithered from the top of her head to the bottom of her feet. Someone had connected the dots, someone who hated what she did.

Ruby forced herself to breathe in, and breathe out, instead of panicking over some note. She dug her hand into her locker's latch and pulled it open. It didn't budge. Growling under her breath, she unlocked it, and saw another note. A single sentence was scrawled on notebook paper.

_You don't belong here._

Another one. Two people knew. Eyes peeled, Ruby looked all around her locker, searching for anything else that didn't belong in there. She took a step back and frowned. Nothing, nothing but those two messages.

"You ready to go?"

Ruby flinched, one second away from jumping out of fright. That second let her recognize Blake's voice, and relax. She looked around her locker door and saw Blake in her combat outfit.

"I need a minute to get changed," Ruby said, hoping that her voice wasn't as shaky as she imagined it sounding.

Blake smiled. "Fine by me."

It took Ruby no time at all to put on her combat outfit, and feeling its familiar weight on her body helped her mind settle. She resisted the urge to rub her sweetheart Crescent Rose against her cheek, holstering it instead.

Before she closed her locker, Ruby crumpled those threatening notes and thrust them in her pocket. She didn't know who had written them, but as far as she knew, no one else had seen them. It was going to stay that way.

After tossing the notes deep into the nearest trash can, Ruby found Blake seated on a bench, busy with some last-minute diagnostics of her weapon, Gambol Shroud.

"I'm ready, Blake. Let's get going."

Blake stood up, sheathed her blade and put its scabbard on her back. "After you."

Together, they walked out of the locker rooms for their upcoming team lesson. Thoughts of those rumours circulated in Ruby's mind, none of them pleasant. She needed something to distract her, and fast.

"Hey, Blake, can you tell me more about Gambol Shroud?"

Her partner glanced at her, before nodding. "Sure. What do you want to know about it?"

"Why is it designed that way? There's so many parts to Gambol Shroud: it's a sickle, a katana, it can become a cleaver, you can even tie people up with the ribbon. Also, it's a gun – something any weapon worth its weight needs to have – but don't you get a bit mixed up sometimes?"

Blake chuckled, softly. "It did take a bit of time to adjust to, but I like having so many options. It also works well with my semblance. Maintaining it can be a bit of a hassle, though."

"It's because of all those moving parts, right? You need to make sure that the blade and the pistol can fold together without straining the ribbon. Not only that, you have to make sure that you don't get any Dust caught in hard-to-reach places. Believe me, it can get really annoying to clean them out. I have a special kit I use for those 'special' occasions, but I have to make sure it's on hand whenever I need to use it."

"I thought I was going to be talking about Gambol Shroud," Blake said.

Ruby froze. Her cheeks quickly grew warm from embarrassment, before she saw Blake's warm smile.

"Sorry. I get carried away sometimes."

"It's okay. You're really passionate about weapons, and I like hearing you talk about them."

A smile bloomed on Ruby's face. "Thanks. That really means a lot."

Talking about weapons always helped Ruby forget about what she was worried about, and as Blake told her more about Gambol Shroud, it was almost like Ruby had never seen those notes at all.

Soon enough, Ruby and Blake reached the cliffs overlooking Emerald Forest. She couldn't see Yang or Weiss, but she did see a few other students – including Nora and Ren.

"Good afternoon, Ruby and Blake!" Nora said, making a beeline for them both. She was grinning, like usual.

"Hey, Nora," Ruby said, smiling back. "Afternoon, Ren."

"Good afternoon, Ruby," Ren said. He stared at Blake and nodded. Blake returned it, while waving at Nora. Naturally, Nora waved back with double Blake's enthusiasm.

It was always good to see Nora and Ren. Ruby got acquainted with them after the initiation, mostly because their first impression of her wasn't coloured by those rumours. In addition, Nora's constant cheer almost never failed to perk Ruby up.

"Where are your teammates?" Blake asked.

"On their way," Ren said. "Nora wanted to be the first one to reach the Emerald Forest for our lesson."

Nora nodded, rather vigorously. "That's right! Jaune tried to keep up, but I was too fast for that slowpoke, so Pyrrha stayed behind to help him while Ren and I ran ahead. You know what happened next? We made it! We were the first ones here, before anyone else, even Professor Goodwitch!"

"She was surprised to find us here so early," Ren said, putting a hand to his head.

"When I told her how excited I was for today's lesson, she told me 'if only more people were as dedicated as you, Ms. Valkyrie', then she went to make some preparations before class started. While we were waiting, I wanted to find an Ursa or a giant Beowolf, but Ren said we should wait for our teammates to catch up, so we did."

Blake looked at Ruby, a bit overwhelmed. Ruby shrugged; she kind of admired how Nora could just say what she wanted without caring about how others would react to her stories.

"What were you going to do if you found an Ursa?" Ruby asked.

Ren flinched, while Nora grinned. "Ride it! And once it was down, I'd skin its pelt and sell it to the highest bidder!"

That was certainly something. Ruby put her hand on her chin, pondering the thought. "Didn't you guys ride a Nevermore?"

"We did," Ren said. "I still see it in my dreams."

"That just means it's an experience you'll never forget!" Nora said.

At that, Ren smiled.

"I always wondered what it'd be like," Ruby said, imagining the thrill of soaring through the skies for longer than a few seconds.

"Dangerous, probably," Blake said.

"You guys can definitely manage it," Nora said. "After all, Ruby's pretty tough, and your weapon has that rope-thingy, Blake!"

"It's a Variant Ballistic Chain Scythe!" Ruby said. She was about to extol Gambol Shroud's many traits, but reconsidered. "Try saying that three times fast."

Nora sucked in some air, as if she was actually about to try to do just that. Ren gently put his hand on her shoulder.

"It looks like the rest of Team RWBY's made it," Ren said.

Ruby swivelled around, seeing Yang march up to where their little group was standing. Weiss wasn't far behind.

"Hey, guys!" Yang said, once she reached them.

"Hi, Yang!" Nora said.

"Hi, Nora!"

Yang clasped Nora's hand in a tight grip, both of them sharing bright smiles.

"Good afternoon," Ren said.

"And a good afternoon to you too, Ren," Yang said, after letting go of Nora's hand. She walked over to Ruby.

"Yo," Yang said.

"Hey," Ruby said. She gave Yang a side-hug, and smiled at her sister after she felt Yang's arm wrap around her shoulders.

"You doing okay?"

Ruby nodded. "I'm fine." She clutched Yang's side a bit tighter, suddenly remembering the notes. "I want to tell you something later," she whispered.

Yang smiled. "I'll be waiting."

Blake glanced at Ruby for a split second, before staring at Yang. "Hello, Yang."

"Blake! Good to see you."

"Likewise. Where were you guys?"

"Just taking some time to take in the sights."

"Don't let Yang swindle you," Weiss said, frowning. She'd finally caught up, and Ruby didn't fail to notice how her gaze lingered when she witnessed their embrace. "If she had her way, we'd be late!"

"You didn't seem to mind sightseeing with me."

"Only because if I left you alone, you'd be caught up in sightseeing or whatever you want to call it. You should be grateful that I was considerate enough to bring you with me."

Yang let go of Ruby's shoulder, and smiled. "I'm just grateful you could keep up."

Sometimes, Ruby wasn't sure if Yang and Weiss were seconds away from bickering, or if this was how they bonded. After Weiss had lost their fight and walked away, Yang had gone off to find her, so it wasn't like they couldn't stand each other. Although, their relationship definitely danced to its own tune.

"Ready for today's lesson, Weiss?" Nora asked.

Weiss put a hand on her hip. "Always." She made eye contact with Ren, sharing a nod with him, before turning their way. "Blake."

"Weiss," Blake said, frowning.

That was the extent of their conversation, as Weiss immediately faced Ruby. "Good afternoon, Ruby."

Weiss' gaze wasn't cold or haughty, just curious, less guarded in a way.

"Good afternoon," Ruby said.

"I'm counting on you to lead us well today."

Ruby nodded, firmly. "Don't worry, Weiss. I'll do my best."

Just then, Ruby saw Jaune and Pyrrha racing towards them. When they caught up, Pyrrha was barely winded, while Jaune was panting, red in the face.

"Are we late?" Jaune asked, in between breaths.

"You're just in time, Mr. Arc," Professor Goodwitch said. "Now that everyone is here, divide yourself into your respective teams. We'll begin in two minutes."

* * *

Their lesson for the day was a team exercise, where they'd have to capture a flag in one of eight designated locations hidden in the Emerald Forest and bring it back before the end of the lesson. This was the first time they were doing a team lesson outside of the arena, and it was a good thing that this particular class was their last one for the day, instead of taking place before lunch.

By the time they had finished, Team RWBY had fought off a King Taijitu, a trio of Ursa and a horde of Beowolves before, during and after capturing their black flag. It was tiring work, and stressful at times, but Ruby had focused on her teammates' strengths in order to secure their objective.

Blake was their best tracker, helping them navigate through the forest with greater ease. Yang got stronger the longer she used her semblance, so when they fought the King Taijitu, Ruby made sure that the giant snake Grimm didn't knock Yang out with its two heads or its massive fangs, allowing her sister to take it down.

As for Weiss, her glyphs and Dust really helped them out during their fights. Not only that, Weiss was following Ruby's orders without criticizing them. Weiss hadn't said much to Ruby about their fight since it happened, yet, it was clear that she acknowledged the outcome. While she did her part in team lessons before, now it felt like she didn't hate the fact that Ruby was leading their team.

Through their combined efforts, Team RWBY ended up being the second team to bring their flag back to the starting point. The first team to complete their task was Team CRDL, led by premier bully Cardin Winchester. According to Professor Goodwitch, they had a stroke of luck, since their flag was the closest to the starting point.

It rankled that they came second to them, but what mattered most was that they finished their task and Ruby led her team well. Professor Goodwitch being so pleased with their efforts was icing on the cake.

Speaking of cake, now that school was done for the day, Ruby was looking forward to eating some of the snacks she saved up. Before she could do that, she wanted to talk to Yang. Luckily, her sister was waiting for her.

"Go on, guys," Yang said. "We'll catch up."

"See you later," Blake said, making her way back to Beacon.

Weiss looked at the two of them for a few seconds. She frowned. "Your leadership was adequate today, Ruby. Don't allow Yang to fill you with hot air."

"What should I do, douse her with cold air?

"You know what I prefer."

Yang rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I got the message."

"You better have." With a flippant hair toss, Weiss turned on the spot and left them alone.

"What was that all about?" Ruby asked. Weiss almost sounded like she wanted to help her in some way, which didn't seem right to her.

Yang shrugged. "Just partner stuff. So, what did you want to talk about?"

Ruby frowned, deciding to start walking back to their dorms before she opened her mouth, so that no one could overhear them. Once they were a safe distance away from any eavesdroppers, Ruby told Yang about the notes she found in her locker. Yang wasn't remotely impressed, but she managed to rein in her anger before it could burst into an inferno.

"Don't let those words get to you, Ruby," Yang said. "If someone's trying to scare you through _paper_ , that means they don't have the guts to speak up where you can see them."

"Yeah, but does it matter how they send their message? People know what I did, Yang!"

Yang frowned. "Does that really matter? It's not like you're gonna be arrested or anything, so who cares what people say about you? If someone's gonna let rumours keep them from knowing how awesome you are, that's their loss."

Ruby gnawed at her lip. "I guess so, but I don't want to see those notes anymore, and unless I find out who's writing them, they're not gonna stop."

Yang pursed her lips, popping them like she was blowing out bubblegum. "We can stake them out, and when they pop up, you can challenge them to a duel! That'll shut them up."

That wasn't a bad idea, but there was always the chance that a student from a different year wrote one of those notes, so that challenge probably wouldn't faze them. Also, she didn't want to solve all her problems by fighting.

"How are we going to set up a stake out?" Ruby asked, instead.

Yang opened her mouth, before letting her fist drop to her side.

"Now that I think about it, I really don't want to waste time searching for those cowards." Yang looked Ruby in the eye, unusually serious. "You know what you should do? Just ignore them. You're doing really well at school, you're making a bunch of friends. Nothing they say or do matters."

It didn't matter. It didn't matter. It didn't matter. It shouldn't matter. It wouldn't matter unless Ruby let it.

"You're right." Ruby smiled. "Thanks, Yang."

Yang smiled. "I've always got your back."

Over the next few days, Ruby continued to see notes stuffed in her locker: some had handwriting she recognized, others didn't. What was written on them was more of the same: _KILLER, BEACON HATES MURDERERS, GO DIE WITH TORCHWICK_ , and other nasty things, to the point that Ruby stopped reading them altogether, ripping them up the moment she saw those vile pieces of paper.

Why should she bother letting those words affect her mind when none of these bullies were going to confront her?

The rumours themselves continued to surge on, but other than the odd glare or look of pity, Ruby just trudged on. She didn't burden Blake with her problems, because getting her help would necessitate – a big word Blake told her about recently – telling her partner the truth, and that was a conversation that filled her with worry.

However, ignoring the rumours didn't make them go away, and during her Grimm Studies class, Ruby heard an announcement on the intercom that chilled her to her core.

" _Ruby Rose to Professor Ozpin's office. Repeat: Ruby Rose must go to Professor Ozpin's office immediately."_

She gulped. Professor Ozpin knew the truth, so why was he calling her? A bunch of thoughts filled her mind, none of them remotely healthy.

Whispers broke out across the class, but Professor Port cleared his throat. "Settle down, everyone. There'll be time for talking after class." He looked at her. She couldn't see anything negative on his face. "You'd better get a move on, Ms. Rose. You don't want to miss out on the rest of my lecture, do you?"

Ruby shook her head. "No, sir."

Yang gave her a thumbs-up, while Weiss frowned, oddly pensive.

"Better get going," Weiss said.

"I'll take down anything you miss," Blake said.

"Awesome!" Ruby said. She stood up, and left the lecture hall, walking briskly towards the headmaster's office, mind whirring so quickly that she felt like her whole head was about to spin.

Eventually, she reached her destination, and took a deep breath before stepping inside the open door. The grey-haired headmaster was the only one inside, standing behind a rather ornate glass desk, looking out a panorama of windows that had a bronze clock etched in the middle. Gears of all kinds spun above Ruby, hanging on the ceiling.

For a brief moment, she wondered who could have designed this office.

"Good morning, Ms. Rose," Professor Ozpin said, catching her attention. He must have turned around while she was gazing at his office.

"Hello, Professor," Ruby said, in a soft voice.

"How are you doing today?"

She shrugged, suddenly wondering if that gesture was appropriate. "Fine, I guess. I'm just wondering why you called me here."

The professor grabbed a mug from his desk, and walked around it, a thin black cane held in his other hand.

"I've received some anonymous responses from our students, informing me that Ruby Rose is a murderer, and that she shouldn't be allowed to attend this academy any longer."

Ruby flinched, looking at her shoes. It had gone this far? Why couldn't they just leave her alone?

"Ruby... may I call you that?"

She looked up, meeting Professor Ozpin's soothing gaze. "Of course, Professor."

"Thank you, Ruby. You have no reason to be afraid: I chose to let you attend Beacon, knowing full well how you might be perceived if the truth of your actions came to light. You won't have to leave unless you want to."

Ruby's shoulders dropped, as she heaved in a heavy breath. "Thank you, Professor. I won't let you down."

He smiled. "I'm sure you'll do your best, which is all I ask of you."

Her eyes were starting to burn hot, tearing up and pouring wet tracks down her face. She tried to wipe them away with her sleeve, but they wouldn't stop.

"Sorry, Professor," she said, choking up. "I didn't mean to do this."

"You have nothing to apologize for. Take all the time you need."

All of her relief and joy overwhelmed her so much that she just couldn't bottle up everything she'd been feeling any longer. They had nowhere to go but spill out of her. It took her some time, but eventually, Ruby was able to get a grip on her turbulent emotions. The professor offered her some tissues, which she gladly accepted. While she wiped her face, he drank from his mug.

"I want you to understand something, Ruby," Professor Ozpin said. He took another sip from his mug. "I have made more mistakes than any man, woman or child, but allowing you to attend Beacon was not one of them. You've shown skill, bravery and kindness, everything I want to see in my students."

Ruby nodded, doing her best to keep it together. Now she knew she wouldn't be cast out, or that Professor Ozpin wouldn't change his mind thanks to outside pressure.

"Thank you. That really means a lot, Professor." She sniffled. "Can I ask you something?"

He smiled. "Of course."

"Why did you set up our initiation the way you did? I mean, there's a good chance I could've become partners with someone who hated me. Would you have let them swap teams or something?"

Professor Ozpin sipped from his mug, yet again. "It wouldn't be necessary. In order to complete the initiation, you must work with your partner, and stuck in the line of fire between the creatures of Grimm and your goal, any grievances you may share will have to be put aside in order to secure your future at Beacon. That is usually enough to establish common ground, allowing you to proceed with a foundation that has already been established.

"Of course, there are ways to guarantee that two students who are incompatible with one another will never cross paths, but from all my years of overseeing this initiation, nearly every pair that was formed has resulted in a lasting bond of friendship, and occasionally, something even stronger."

Ruby blinked. "You really mean that?"

"Yes," he said. "I believe you've experienced this already, with Ms. Belladonna."

"Yeah, I did."

"She's on the road to discovering herself. As are you, I imagine."

"I am." She paused, wondering if she should tell him about her little conundrum. Since he already knew what she did and accepted her anyway, that convinced her to go ahead and talk.

"Should I tell Blake about what I did, Professor?"

Before he answered, he set his mug back on his desk. "That depends on you. There are fewer joys greater than the joy that comes from being able to confide yourself in someone you can trust without being condemned. However, certain secrets exist for good reason, and revealing them may irrevocably alter how you perceive someone you considered a comrade, or even a friend."

That made a lot of sense to her. She wouldn't be where she was now if Yang wasn't in her life. At the same time, it wasn't as if Blake being her partner automatically meant she'd accept the fact that Roman Torchwick was dead thanks to her. She sympathized, yeah, but how far could that sympathy stretch when Blake was presented with the truth?

"I have a lot to think about, don't I?"

Professor Ozpin nodded. "Yes, though you may find the answer is closer than you think."

Ruby nodded, as well. "What about those students? I don't know who they are, but they've been pretty troublesome."

"Allow me to set them straight," he said. "As for you, I suggest that you carry on with what you're doing. You've been burdened with a daunting responsibility, fraught with risk and uncertainty. It is up to you to find a way to uphold it, without losing your sense of self in the process."

Ruby smiled. "You made me leader, so I'm going to do my best."

He returned her smile. "I'm very glad to hear that."

Rather than talk, Ruby gazed out the windows, taking in the clear skies, just appreciating where she was.

"Did you know that Professor Goodwitch recommended that I have you attend some form of counselling?" the professor said, gently ending the silence. "It was after your battle with young Ms. Schnee, I believe. I've seen the footage; mock battles rarely grow as intense as your bout did."

Ruby's fingers tightened against her sleeves. "She really said that?"

"Yes, she did. In that light, I have a proposal to offer. If you accept, we'll schedule a meeting between us, occurring once a week, where I will do my best to listen to anything that's been troubling you, and offer any advice that might help you."

It took Ruby very little time to make her choice. "When can we start?"

* * *

When Ruby returned to her Grimm Studies class, she smiled, happy that it wasn't over. Her face was clear of any tears, and the looks and whispers that emerged were nothing more than that.

"Welcome back, Ms. Rose," Professor Port said.

"I'm glad to be back, Professor," Ruby said.

As she walked to her seat, Yang grinned at her, while Weiss seemed relieved that she'd returned. The moment she sat down, Blake immediately shown her the notes she had written.

The rest of her day went by pretty quickly, through classes, lunch and more classes. When the day was finished, Ruby returned to her dorms alongside Blake. Rather than do homework, they just sat together on Blake's bed and relaxed, listening to a rock band Ruby really liked. Blake liked them, too, and Ruby had been eager to sent Blake some of her favourite rock ballads.

When the time was right, Ruby would to introduce Blake to her real favourite genre, but she'd have to ease her in first, since they were... an acquired taste.

After the rock band finished their song, the playlist on Ruby's scroll shuffled to a jazz track Blake had sent her recently, filling their room with the dulcet tones of smooth piano complemented by bass and drums. It was certainly nice, but according to Blake, jazz could get a lot more intricate. The song currently playing was pretty straightforward and a good gateway into the world of jazz.

In any case, she was happy to hang out with Blake. After their rocky start was put behind them, Blake really had been good to her. Ruby hoped she was being good to her, too. She was still worried about how Blake would take her secret, but it was a risk she was growing more willing to take the longer she spent time with her.

"Hey, Blake – "

The door flew open, and Weiss entered their room, alone.

"Jazz?" Weiss said. "Interesting. Remind me to play you some classical music some time."

"That doesn't surprise me one bit," Blake said, somewhat mockingly.

"Have you seen Yang, Weiss?" Ruby asked.

"She's hanging out with her friends," Weiss said, closing the door behind her. "I have no clue when she'll come back."

Ruby bit her lip, but Blake tapped her shoulder. "You wanted to ask me something, Ruby?"

Ruby looked at Blake, then back at Weiss, who had taken a seat on her own bed.

"I want to tell you something, but you have to promise me you won't tell anyone else."

Blake made eye contact with Ruby, golden eyes showing no hint of deception or two-faced lies. "I promise."

"Does this extend to me as well?" Weiss asked.

She felt like she could trust Blake not to talk about Torchwick's killer, but Weiss... Weiss had respected Ruby's right to secrecy, in spite of her keen interest in the rumours, and through their fight, Ruby proved Weiss wrong.

"Only if you can prove yourself to me," Ruby said.

Weiss crossed her arms. "Very well. I promise not to speak a word of what you're about to tell us to anyone else."

Ruby nodded. "Thanks, guys." She switched off her music, breathing in deep and looking for the right words to say. "About those rumours... they're about me. I killed Roman Torchwick."

She waited for the reaction, took in every facial movement they made, noticed how they tensed up from surprise.

"So it really was you..." Blake said.

Weiss frowned. "I thought as much."

But neither of them seemed to be all that shocked.

"Can you tell us how it happened?" Weiss asked, leaning forward, hands set on her lap.

"You don't have to if you aren't comfortable," Blake said, although Ruby sensed some anticipation roiling off her partner's tongue.

Ruby gazed at her hands, remembering every detail of the fight, every move that led to Torchwick's death. Rather than wallow in her memories, she expressed the main points of their fatal clash: how she defeated his minions, how she chased after him, their rooftop conversation...

"Then, I shot him in the stomach," Ruby said. She winced, smelling the wicked tang of Roman's blood like she'd been pulled back there. "I didn't know that his Aura had been depleted, or I wouldn't have done it, I swear!"

Her breathing was speeding up. Blake put her hand on Ruby's shoulder, squeezing it gently, bringing Ruby back from the brink.

"I believe you, Ruby."

Ruby looked at Blake, wanting to thank her, but she couldn't find the words to say how much what she just said meant to her.

"If you ask me, you should have shot him again, just to confirm the kill," Weiss said. Ruby's gaze shot to Weiss' face. "What? I told you before, scum like Roman Torchwick is better off dead. Did you expect anything else?"

Ruby frowned. It shouldn't have been surprised, and yet, she was still relieved. "I wasn't really sure how you'd react if I told you. That's why I kept it a secret. I didn't want to risk messing things up in our team."

Or have either of her teammates despise her. Ruby felt Blake's hand leave her shoulder, and for a second, it felt kind of empty. Blake stared at her, as if she was searching for something. Then, she smiled, soft and warm.

"Thank you for telling us," Blake said. "Trust me, what you just did was really brave."

Ruby smiled, feeling the worry that restricted her loosening up, on the verge of leaving her entirely.

"Does anyone else know?" Weiss asked.

"Yang knows," Ruby answered. "So does Professor Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch."

Weiss' eyes shot wide. "Of course!" She bit her lip. "Of course..." Immediately, she shook herself. "Yang accepted you, didn't she?"

"She did."

A long moment passed, where Ruby waited for someone else to speak. The moment was broken by Weiss, who smiled, a true-blue smile.

"Then I shall do the same."

"Same goes for me," Blake said.

Ruby's smile grew, until her cheeks were straining themselves. "Thanks, you guys."

"You're welcome," Weiss said.

"If you need anything from me, anything at all, don't be afraid to ask, okay?"

Ruby nodded. "I won't. Thanks, Blake."

"Any time." Blake stood up. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to change." Blake grabbed her nightwear, then entered the bathroom and locked it. Ruby looked at the bottom of her bed, so grateful that revealing her secret didn't blow up in her face.

"Ruby, I have something I want to tell you," Weiss said.

She looked directly at Weiss. "What is it?"

Weiss frowned, staring at her lap rather than straight ahead, at Ruby's face. "I... I owe you an apology."

She pulled her head up, so that she was now making eye contact. There was a vulnerability present in her blue eyes that Ruby had never seen before.

"I resented how Yang and Blake treated you like you were made of glass, and how you cowered away from those rumours rather than ignore them. I became so enveloped in my perception of you that I forgot to consider that you wouldn't handle your hardship the same way I would. Now, I know better, so... I'm sorry."

Ruby smiled, a bit more gently than her last smile. "Apology accepted, Weiss."

Weiss smiled, too, cupping the back of her neck. A moment later, she straightened up. "That being said, Ruby, I won't be letting you off the hook. You're still our leader, and now that you've shown me you have the drive to excel, I'll be doing everything in my power to ensure that you become a great leader. Have I made myself clear?"

Ruby nodded, firmly. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to comment! I'd really like to hear your thoughts about the story, things you're looking forward to, areas I can improve in. Good feedback makes for better stories.


	7. A Friend in Need

Chapter 7: A Friend in Need

Lunch time was one of Ruby's favourite times of the day. It was always great to dig into some tasty cookies and a totally healthy meal that Weiss recommended to her, while she caught up on what her teammates and her friends from Team JNPR had done.

Today, she listened to Nora talk about this recurring dream she was having, spoke to Blake about the book she was busy reading, and heard about Jaune's bullying woes. She also had front row seats to watch Cardin Winchester and his team crowd around some poor Faunus girl.

They weren't there to hang out with her, they were bullying her. She didn't hurt anyone, she didn't do anything wrong, she was just being bullied because she had rabbit ears. Worst of all, nobody was trying – or willing – to help her.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't right.

"Ruby, what's going on?" Weiss said, her expensive nail file hovering about her smooth nails. "You're the one who insisted on eating those cookies, and you're not going to finish them?"

Ruby frowned. "I don't feel like eating."

Watching Cardin pull on the Faunus girl's ear was the last straw. Ruby stood up and stomped to the scene.

"Leave her alone, Cardin," Ruby said.

All four members of Team CRDL stared her down. Ruby glared back. A couple of them flinched, while Cardin stood up, still pinching her ear. He was tall, and his gray armour made his bulky figure all the more imposing, but Ruby didn't give him a single inch.

"Why should I? Velvet here asked me to pull on her ears. I had to see if they were real."

"Did you?"

Velvet shook her head, pale as a ghost. Haunched over, she looked like she'd rather be anywhere else.

"She didn't say no," Cardin said. He smirked. "Then again, I'm surprised these animals can speak in the first place."

Ruby scowled. "You're the real animal. You think you can bully Velvet just because she's a Faunus? Well, I won't let you."

Cardin frowned, squaring his shoulders. His teammate with the blond mohawk, Russel, shook his head.

"It's not worth it, Cardin," he said, even though he just called Velvet a freak. "Rose isn't going to budge."

Cardin snorted. "Whatever." He let go of Velvet's ear, patting her on the head and making her cringe. "It must be so awful that the only person who took pity on you was Killer Rose."

Ruby didn't recoil. 'Killer Rose' was the nickname circulating around, now that Ruby's role in Roman Torchwick's death was basically an open secret. She didn't mind Cardin calling her that, because he thought she was pretty cool for killing Torchwick, and by now, she was used to the rumours and the gossip.

"She's not the only one," Blake said, standing at Ruby's side.

"That's right," Ruby said. "Now back off."

Cardin growled underneath his breath, but he turned on the spot and walked away. Russel followed him, and their other teammates, Sky and Dove, brought up the rear.

"Thank you," Velvet said. "Both of you."

"You're welcome," Blake said.

Ruby smiled. "What she said. By the way, I'm Ruby, and this is my partner, Blake."

Velvet returned Ruby's smile. It brought some colour back to her cheeks. "My name is Velvet. It's nice to meet you, Ruby."

"You too."

"It's nice to meet you too, Blake. I can finally put a name to your face."

Blake nodded. "Likewise." Ruby glanced at her, eyebrows raised. "We share our World History class."

"That's cool," Ruby said. She looked around, seeing a bunch of students watching them, but not anyone who might have known Velvet. "Where's your team, Velvet?"

"In class. I had a free period, so I thought I'd grab some lunch. Before long... you saw what happened."

"It's a good thing we were here, then."

"I agree," Blake said. Her gaze darkened, like storm clouds rolling into a clear sky.

"I'm glad you did," Velvet did. She straightened out her posture, and at her full height, not only was she tall, her long brown hair and her lithe physique projected an easy grace that made her stand out.

"Why didn't you try and stop them?" Ruby asked.

Velvet frowned. "I don't like fighting."

"That doesn't mean you can't stand up for yourself! Cardin's not going to leave you alone just because you don't want to fight him."

Blake clicked her tongue. "If Velvet fights back, she'll just be seen as a rabid Faunus tearing down some poor students, rather than a bullying victim defending herself from the people bullying her."

'So what?' Ruby wanted to say, because that shouldn't have stopped Velvet from defending herself anyway. But she held her tongue after seeing the scowl on Blake's face. Velvet stared at Blake, too, unblinking.

"Unfortunately, I can't say you're wrong," Velvet said.

Ruby frowned. "Sorry. I didn't mean to suggest –"

Velvet raised a hand. "It's fine, Ruby. I understand where you're coming from, and I can't blame you at all for the advice you gave."

Blake's scowl eased into a surly frown. "It's not your fault."

Hearing them say that soothed Ruby's fear that she made a big mistake somewhere. It also highlighted how the negativity Ruby had to deal with was only based on what she did. She never had to deal with prejudice because of who she was.

"You shouldn't have to deal with all that. It isn't fair."

Velvet smiled, wanly. "It isn't, but I have my team and my parents, and Beacon has been great to me overall, so if all I have to deal with are some bullies, I can't complain."

That was definitely a positive attitude to have. Ruby knew from experience that the best way to stop a bully was to stand up to them, but there was wisdom in picking and choosing the times to take that stand.

"You should complain," Blake said. "People like Cardin don't deserve a second thought, but that shouldn't mean that you have to let them walk all over you."

"Yeah, Blake's right. You can talk to Professor Ozpin: he's a really good listener."

His counselling really helped her cope with those rumours, and made her feel like her thoughts and opinions were valued and respected by someone who'd seen so much. She still wasn't sure if she made the right move, but she did find out that a decent number of people respected what she did, even if they didn't know exactly what happened.

When it came to the ones who didn't respect her choice, Ruby didn't let their opinions bother her. She was able to move on from that mess with the notes. While she never found out who wrote those mean notes, but learning who the culprits were wasn't important even if Professor Ozpin never stopped them.

It was what they represented that got to her, not the notes themselves. She let those notes ruin her day because she was afraid of being rejected, frightened that she wouldn't be able to make friends. But she had no reason to be frightened. She had friends who accepted her, so she could stand up to some bullies, whether she was fighting on her own or not, especially when it was to defend someone else.

Velvet sighed. "I'll keep that in mind, though I'd rather not make any trouble."

"Well, if you need any help with those bullies, I'll be there," Ruby said.

"So will I," Blake said.

Velvet smiled. "Thank you. I really appreciate that..." She extended her rabbit ears, and nodded to herself. "I'll get going now. Thanks again for your help."

Ruby smiled. "You're welcome. See you later!"

Velvet walked away with confident strides. Once she left the dining hall, Ruby decided to return to her bench. Before she could, Ruby caught Blake staring at her with unflinching focus.

"Everything alright?" Ruby asked.

Blake blinked, before smiling. "Yeah, everything's alright."

She said that, but her smile was pretty strained. When they returned to their bench, they had the full attention of their teammates and Team JNPR.

"Way to go, Ruby!" Yang said.

Ruby grinned. "Thanks, Yang."

"Not that what you did wasn't worthwhile, but why did you defend that girl?" Weiss asked. "Clearly, she wasn't interested in defending herself."

"Velvet needed help," Blake said. "And Ruby was brave enough to stand up for her."

Weiss scoffed. "I didn't ask you."

Blake scowled. "I don't need your permission to speak my mind, Weiss."

Ruby caught Weiss rolling her eyes.

"I know you don't, but I'd prefer you 'speak your mind' to someone who cares."

"Personally," Pyrrha interjected, just as Blake was about to respond, "I think Ruby's actions are an example that everyone can follow."

Ruby smiled. "That means a lot, Pyrrha."

Pyrrha smiled, before she glanced at Jaune, who was staring into his half-eaten plate of food, not bothering to look at anyone. It was clear that he was listening, though, as doubt was written all over his face.

"I agree," Yang said. "Do you agree, Weiss?"

Weiss crossed her arms. "It appears to have worked. Hopefully, Ruby won't have to do this a second time."

Hopefully, Cardin and his teammates got the message, but she wouldn't mind helping out Velvet a second, third or even tenth time if it meant helping her.

"Personally, I think Ruby should have broken his legs!" Nora said.

Ruby chuckled, half-heartedly. "Maybe?"

"Why not go for the arms?" Yang asked.

"It has to be the legs! Tell them, Ren!"

Ren chuckled. "Why not let Yang explain herself?"

Yang did just that. Ruby returned to eating her cookies, and saw Blake chow down on some grilled fish and a salad, eyes glued to her book, ignoring Yang and Nora's debate completely. When Blake was closed off like this, she was going to let her anger stew.

It wasn't something that bothered her most of the time, but right now, Ruby wanted nothing more than to peek behind Blake's walls and see what she was hiding from the rest of the world.

* * *

In between training, classes, homework and tests, Ruby had been caught up in a rhythm at Beacon that tested her in many ways... until she got used to it. Once she did, it did get kind of dull sometimes, which was one of the reasons why she was looking forward to their field trip to Forever Fall, a big forest they'd be going to in a couple of days.

Forever Fall's trees had leaves that were always red and orange, which was where its name came from. Apparently, some maiden had given life to the trees, and not only did those trees never die, they gave off a special kind of sap that they were going to collect on their trip. The forest was also infested with Grimm, but that wasn't a surprise. She wouldn't be surprised if there were Grimm on the moon.

After classes ended for the day, Ruby decided to go back to her dorm, alone. Yang was off sightseeing with Weiss – again – and Blake was doing some extra reading at the library for a class they didn't share. Fortunately, Blake had cooled off since they defended Velvet, but she was growing more and more distant.

Blake would go off on her own, on a whim, without saying anything to anyone. She was pretty reserved most of the time, but she still let Ruby in. Now, not so much. Ruby tried to ask her what was going on, but Blake was being tight-lipped.

She wasn't angry at Weiss – at least, any more than she usually was – and Ruby knew she didn't do anything wrong, but it really hurt that she wasn't able to help Blake solve a problem that was clearly eating away at her.

They'd been partners for nearly two months, yet Ruby still felt like there was a barrier separating them. There was a lot she didn't know about Blake, and seeing her get so angry on Velvet's behalf reinforced that big time.

That desire to learn Blake's secrets lingered, but she didn't want to intrude on her privacy. She respected Blake way too much to do that. Secrets were really important, and since Blake gave Ruby the space and time to reveal her own secret, Ruby was more than happy to do the same for her.

She just wanted Blake to know that she could rely on her, too.

Just as she reached her room, she saw Jaune looking around nervously outside his door, glancing at his open scroll.

"Hey, Jaune," Ruby said. "Locked yourself out again?"

Jaune staggered back, fumbling with his scroll, but he caught it before it fell.

"Ruby, hey. Uh, no, I'm not locked out."

"Then what are you doing?"

He looked at his scroll again, before sighing. "I don't know. I really don't. Cardin figured out someone about me that he shouldn't have, and now he's got me on a leash."

Ruby winced. That didn't sound good at all. She wanted to suggest to Jaune that he should fight Cardin in a duel and beat him, but that wouldn't help him because Jaune was not good at fighting. He had potential, but right now, Cardin would wipe the floor with him again.

"Does anybody else know about this?"

"Yeah. That's why Pyrrha won't talk to me."

Hearing that made Ruby frown. "She's your partner, isn't she? Why isn't she talking to you?"

He sighed. "It doesn't matter. Pyrrha's not the problem. I am." He frowned, deeply. "I shouldn't have ever come to this school."

"Nope!" Ruby said.

"Come again?"

She walked over to him so that she could stand next to her hapless friend.

"You're here now, Jaune. That means you have to make the most of this opportunity. Don't let anything hold you back, or else you'll regret it."

Jaune chuckled. "You've got a point there. I really have been trying. Like in today's World History class, I knew that Faunus had night vision because I studied the textbook last night, and I could answer the questions about the battle at Fort Castle – "

"Fort Castle?" Ruby stifled her giggles. "That's a weird name, isn't it? It's like calling a mountain Mt. Hill or a lake Lake Ocean."

He scratched the back of his neck. "Well, that's what it's called in the textbook. Anyway, what I was trying to say is that I'm not slacking off. I'm doing everything that's asked of me and more, but even with all this hard work, I can just barely keep up with my team."

Ruby smiled. "You're doing great, Jaune. You may be thinking that you're not doing enough, but I bet all your hard work is inspiring your teammates to do even better. That's what a leader does: be the pillar that their team can rely on."

Jaune smiled. "Whoever said that must be one great guy."

"He can be, he just has to realize that he doesn't have to do everything alone."

He dropped his hand from his neck to his side. Then he looked at her for a couple of seconds, deep in thought.

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

Ruby shrugged. "Sure, Jaune."

The proud posture he displayed slipped into a nervous slouch. "What was up with that name Cardin called you? You know, Killer Rose?"

Ruby frowned. "You know those rumours going around about Roman Torchwick's killer?" He nodded. "They're about me."

Jaune's eyes lit up, as if he'd been hit with sudden realization. "Oh."

"You really didn't know? The rest of your team knew."

And they accepted her anyway.

"I never really thought that stuff was about you. You're probably the last person I thought would've done it."

"You really mean that?"

He gave her a tentative smile. "Yeah. Honestly, you're way too nice to be some serial killer or a human Grimm."

"I'm neither of those things," Ruby said. "But I did kill Torchwick."

"You must have had a good reason for doing it. And even if you didn't, what am I gonna do, stop being your friend?"

Ruby stared Jaune in the eye, and he immediately raised his hands. "I'm not gonna do that, just so you know."

"I know." She dug her foot into the floor, smiling. "Thanks, Jaune. If you need any help with Cardin, I'll set him straight for you."

Jaune grimaced. "I appreciate that, but I can handle this myself. I know you mean well, but this is something I have to do on my own."

Ruby puffed out her cheeks and exhaled roughly. "You can always tell Professor Ozpin about your problem with Cardin. I mean, he let me attend Beacon, and it's not like you could have done anything worse than I did, right?"

Jaune gulped. "Even forging some transcripts?"

"Even that."

He stared into the distance. Maybe she'd actually gotten through to him.

"I'll think about it. Thanks again, Ruby."

Ruby smiled. "No problem. Thanks for being a good friend, Jaune."

Jaune smiled. "That's just how I roll."

He breathed in deep and squared his shoulders. In that moment, he looked like the stalwart leader of a strong team, ready to head the charge into a horde of strong Grimm. Jaune turned the knob on his door and went in.

The door to her own room was slightly ajar, and when she opened it, Ruby saw Yang on the other side.

"Yang? When did you get here?"

Yang grinned. "Before you did."

Ruby cocked her head sideways. "Weren't you sightseeing with Weiss?"

Yang's grin evaporated. "I was, but today's laundry day for Weiss, and unlike us normal people, she hired a specialist cleaner to shine all her shoes and dry-clean all her clothes."

"But Beacon has a great laundry! Wait, let me guess, Weiss has 'standards', right?"

Yang rolled her eyes. "Yeah, high standards."

"Did Weiss let you know she had other plans?"

"Yeah, she did, but her cleaner had to re-schedule, so we cut our sightseeing time short today. Before she went, I asked if she could get her cleaner to clean my clothes, and she said no! Apparently, I have to pay for something I can't afford."

Ruby gasped.

"Weiss said the same thing when I asked her to cut a deal with this weapons manufacturer she knows. Excuse me for not being part of a major Dust company!"

"Exactly! Normally, I wouldn't mind, since it's not my money, but she got real feisty today, and when she gets mad, she gets really mean."

"Yeah, that's Weiss for you."

Ruby understood completely: Weiss was rich in a way that was really hard to grasp. Weiss could make a couple of calls and get everything she needed to fix Myrtenaster, all at the low cost of five times the amount of money Ruby set aside to maintain Crescent Rose every month.

It wasn't as if Weiss was all bad, though. In fact, the only person she held any animosity towards was Blake. That didn't mean she defrosted completely: there were some parts of her that she wouldn't change for anyone.

"But don't worry about it, Yang: you guys argue all the time, and you're still good partners. It'll be fine."

Yang frowned. "We don't argue all the time. There's a lot of things we agree on. It's just that when you put us together, sparks fly."

"More like explosions."

Her sister thrust a fist out. "The bigger, the better." She smiled. "You're right, though, we'll be fine."

"I hope so."

"So, where's Blake?"

Ruby frowned. "At the library." She bit her lip. "Don't know when she'll come back."

Concern immediately filled Yang's eyes.

"Did you get into a fight with her?"

"No! I just don't know what to do. She's been struggling with something and I want to help her, but she just keeps on saying that nothing's wrong. But if nothing was wrong, she wouldn't be isolating herself."

"Maybe she's just the type of girl who deals with her problems alone. Don't – "

Yang was cut off by the hard, loud sound of a door slamming. Ruby shared a concerned look with her sister and made for the door. When they opened it, they saw Pyrrha storming down the hallway.

"You think she got into a fight with Jaune?" Yang asked.

Ruby frowned. "I know she did."

"Wasn't she ignoring him?"

"Well, yeah, but you heard me talk to Jaune, didn't you?"

She smiled, sheepishly. "I did. Why don't we go see how Pyrrha's doing?"

Ruby didn't want to nose around in Pyrrha's business, especially if she wasn't in a good mood. But Jaune was her friend, and she wanted to know why his partner was ignoring him. Jaune could be really stubborn, but he wasn't a bad guy. And while she wasn't as close to Pyrrha as she was the rest of Team JNPR, Pyrrha had always been nice to her.

If Pyrrha didn't want to talk to them, Ruby would leave her alone. But if she did, Ruby hoped they could figure out a solution that would help everyone out.

"Let's do it."

They caught up with Pyrrha before she could leave the dorms. She was wound up tighter than a spring, but she still smiled at them.

"Hello, Ruby, Yang."

"Hello," Ruby said.

"Hey, Pyrrha," Yang said, immediately taking the lead. "How's it hanging?"

Pyrrha's smile widened, like stretching plastic. "I'm doing well. Personally, I have nothing to complain about."

"How about the team? Everything going well there?"

Her green-eyed stare hardened. "Yes. Whatever problems exist are on our _leader_ to solve."

The way she stressed the word 'leader' got on Ruby's nerves. Yang, on the other hand, still had an easy-going smile on her face.

"How _is_ Jaune doing? I haven't seen much of him lately."

She huffed. "You'll have to ask him yourself, but don't expect much. After all, leaders can't show weakness."

"Don't you see that Jaune needs your help!" Ruby blurted out.

Pyrrha flinched. Her smile fell apart. "I know he does. Believe me, I'd want nothing more than to solve all of Jaune's problems. However, he refuses to ask for anyone's help, even as he's made some rather detrimental and infuriating decisions."

"Then why are you ignoring him?"

"I can't force Jaune to accept my help, but I can't stand to see him isolate himself just because he insists on solving his problems on his own."

Ruby's eyes widened, Pyrrha's words hitting her hard. She frowned from guilt. It was just like Jaune said: Pyrrha wasn't the problem. Not entirely.

"It's gotta be pretty hard to feel so helpless."

Pyrrha nodded. "Yes, exactly. It hasn't been remotely pleasant."

Now that they had common ground, Ruby began to ease up. "Jaune's struggling, too. He just needs to know that asking for help isn't a sign of weakness."

A frustrated sigh blew out of Pyrrha's lips. "What do you suggest I do?"

"He'll come around," Yang said. "But when he does, you have to tell him exactly how you feel. Until that happens, just make sure that he knows you'll support him no matter what, even if you're angry with him right now. That way, he'll know he can trust you to help him whenever he's struggling."

When she finished talking, Yang glanced at Ruby, raising an eyebrow. She didn't have to worry one bit: Ruby got the message. Judging from the pensive frown that appeared on Pyrrha's face, it seemed like she got the message, too. Eventually, Pyrrha relaxed, taking on an expression of serene focus.

"That, I can do," she said.

Yang smiled. "Awesome. Hope it works out for you guys."

"It will work out. I'll make sure of it."

Ruby smiled. "You got this, Pyrrha. Good luck."

Pyrrha smiled at them both, and it was warm and real. "Thank you very kindly."

* * *

Ruby decided to speak to Blake after their field trip to Forever Fall's forest. It was a good decision to wait, because the trip went off without a hitch: the forest was even more beautiful in person and the sap they collected would be put to good use. Blake seemed to be in good spirits, too, and Ruby used the time to figure out what she wanted to say to her partner.

After they returned to Beacon, she caught Blake lurking in the courtyard close to the academy's entrance. There was no one else around to hear them, which suited Ruby just fine. It was time to make her move.

"Hey, Blake."

Blake faced her, a slight frown lining her smooth face. "Hello, Ruby."

She stood there, silently, waiting for Ruby to speak. So Ruby gathered her courage and looked straight at her partner's golden eyes.

"I just want you to know that you're not alone. We're partners, Blake. If you need anything from me, anything at all, I'll be there. And if I can help you like you helped me, then I promise that I'll be the best partner you can ask for."

Ruby held her gaze, relieved that she'd said her piece without stumbling over her words. A storm of emotions enveloped Blake, but the smile that bloomed on her face cleared them away.

"You've already done a lot, Ruby." Her smile faded. "But when I saw you defend Velvet, it made me think about a lot of things."

"What do you mean?"

Blake's eyes darted to her feet. "If you didn't do what you did, I would have just watched Velvet get bullied, all because I was too afraid of exposing myself. Pretty pathetic, don't you think?"

Ruby's heart skipped a beat, startled from the bitter tone threading Blake's words.

"You still helped Velvet."

Blake bit her lip. "I did, but I shouldn't have needed to leech off your courage. You didn't care that Velvet was a Faunus, you defended her without a second thought. I should have been driving away Cardin and his team from the outset, but I didn't, not until you stepped up."

Ruby frowned. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Blake. You'll do better next time."

"I will," she said, with ice-cold resolve. "But that guilt ate away at me, and I didn't want to be around you and force you to deal with my personal issues, even though I could tell you were worried about me."

Ruby curled her fists. "I didn't like seeing you struggle and not be able to help you, especially when you helped me."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have avoided you. You did nothing wrong, nothing at all."

Even though she knew that already, hearing it from Blake was a huge relief.

"It's okay, and it's okay if you need some space. I'm here for you."

A small smile tugged at Blake's lips. "Thank you, Ruby."

She faced Ruby once again, less guarded than she was before. Ruby loosened her fists. This was going really well, better than she imagined.

"You know, there's one thing that's been bothering me, Blake. When we were talking with Velvet, you looked like you understood everything she was going through. And you've been taking this really hard, too. Are you..."

Ruby trailed off. What she wanted to say next was kind of out there, and if she got it wrong...

"Yes," Blake said. "I'm a Faunus."

Ruby froze. She wasn't wrong. Maybe Blake could have been a Faunus rights activist, but from her night vision to her anger at seeing Faunus be mistreated, the fact that Blake actually was a Faunus just felt right.

"I let myself think that Beacon would be different just because Faunus were given the same opportunities as humans and no one knew who I was. If I didn't draw too much attention to myself, I could learn to be a huntress and leave my past behind."

Blake frowned, utterly dejected. "I was wrong."

Ruby pursed her lips. Then she smiled. "Nope!"

"What do you mean, nope?" Blake snarled.

Ruby didn't let that sudden burst of anger get to her, even if it did stir up some unpleasant feelings she had to force down.

"Just because you were proven wrong doesn't mean you were wrong to think you can't change. You can't really ignore who you are or what you've done, but you can still fight to be the best version of yourself that you can be."

She smiled, wryly. "Of course you'd say that. You dealt with all these garbage rumours and you didn't let them compromise your morals or shy away from doing what was right. I wish I had a tenth of your bravery."

Her cheeks grew warm. "You really mean that?"

"I do."

It felt really good to be validated by her partner, and it felt even better that everything was going well.

"Thanks, Blake. And thank you for telling me about your secret. It means so much to know that you trust me with that."

Blake's smile returned. "You trusted me with your secret, and I know that you'd never use this against me."

"Never," Ruby said.

"Thanks, Ruby. But for now, let's keep this between us."

She didn't even have to say that, because Ruby would've kept her secret anyway.

"Your secret's safe with me."

Blake smiled. "I'm really lucky to have you as a partner."

Ruby beamed. "Me too. From now on, we're not gonna leave each other in the dark. If there's something you're struggling with, let's talk about it, okay?"

"I'll try."

Ruby's radiant smile dimmed into a determined grin. "That's right. We'll try, and try again until we succeed."

Blake chuckled. "I like the sound of that."

"So do I."

Even so, Ruby knew from experience that it took time for habits to become habits, which was why it wouldn't be fair to expect Blake to change overnight. After all, Ruby was still learning how to talk about her problems instead of bottling them up, so as long as they started somewhere and learned from their mistakes, she truly believed everything would work out.


	8. Black vs. White

Chapter 8: Black v. White

It was always good to visit Vale. Ruby got to hang out with her team, see the sights and buy stuff she couldn't get from Beacon's stores. It was a great way to spend a Friday afternoon. The only thing she didn't like was having to visit the docks. She really couldn't stand the awful stink of fish in the air. Yang didn't like it, either, and suggested they leave as soon as possible.

Weiss, on the other hand, was so overjoyed at seeing the decorations on display for the upcoming Vytal Festival that she didn't care about the smell one bit. It was kind of nice to see her in such a good mood, just really unusual. Blake didn't mind the smell, but ever since they saw the police on patrol, she'd put up her guard, only talking when she had something important to say.

A string of robberies over the past couple of weeks forced Vale's police force to tighten security, leading to police cars or beat officers lurking around what felt like every single corner. It wasn't easy to ignore, and if Ruby hadn't reminded herself that she wasn't in danger of being arrested, she would have been just as wound up as her partner was.

After all, Roman Torchwick died almost three months ago, and his death wasn't put on her criminal record. She got off very lucky, so as long as she didn't break any rules, she'd be safe and sound.

That didn't mean that she wanted the police to go away, though. They came across a Dust shop cordoned off by police tape. Pretty much all the Dust was gone, and according to the detectives guarding the shop, so was the money.

"Who needs this much Dust?" one of the detectives asked.

"An army, maybe," his partner answered. "I'm thinking the White Fang's responsible."

"Might be them, but it doesn't fit their MO. No one was harmed during any of the robberies."

The other detective sighed. "Point taken. Hope we get a raise for all this extra work."

"It better be big."

The detectives walked away from Ruby's team to guard a different section of the shop. Once they were out of earshot, Weiss sniffed in derision.

"What's up, Weiss?" Yang asked.

"If you ask me, the White Fang were responsible."

"It wasn't them," Blake said. "Didn't you hear those detectives?"

"I heard them, but they're wrong. Who else other than a pack of rabid degenerates would be brazen enough to do this?"

Blake scowled, glaring at Weiss. "Where do you get off on calling them degenerates?"

Weiss matched Blake's glare, stepping towards her. "That's what they are."

"They're not degenerates. They're misguided."

"Misguided? They want nothing more than to destroy everything humanity has built. How can you call that misguided?"

"They're misguided because of their methods. That's not the point. If the White Fang did it, why didn't they burn down all the shops they robbed? Why didn't they attack the staff? None of the shops were Faunus-owned."

"Obviously, it was to keep the police from pinning it on them. You know as well as I do that the White Fang are the only criminal organization who have the manpower, resources _and_ the motive to rob nine Dust shops and get away with it."

"Nine?" Yang asked.

"It was on the news, Yang," Weiss said.

Blake's eyes narrowed. "What's their motive?"

Weiss' mouth ripped open, but Ruby cut in first. "Blake's got a point, Weiss. Why would the White Fang would want to rob a bunch of Dust shops?"

Weiss scowled. "They attacked a train carrying a whole shipment of Dust mere months ago, so don't tell me that stealing Dust is above them, because it isn't. Hoarding Dust bolsters their strength, simultaneously preventing law enforcement from using that stolen Dust to apprehend them. Continuously stealing Dust makes trading Dust a risky prospect, and we need Dust to fight the Grimm!"

Those were some good points. Even so, that didn't explain why the White Fang would rob Dust shops if they could rob a train.

"Then why would they rob Dust shops here in Vale?" Blake asked, saying what Ruby was thinking. "Look at their mode of operation: they always take responsibility for their crimes. They've taken on the police in the past. Why would they change their tactics now?"

Weiss was about to speak, but she was interrupted, though not by Ruby.

"Stop that Faunus!" some guy said. He was on the ship, and looked like a sailor, but he was too slow to catch the Faunus, who slipped around him and the other sailor with quick, nimble footwork.

"Thanks for the ride, guys!" the Faunus said. With his ringing laughter and roguish smile, he definitely looked like someone having a lot of fun rather than someone who was busy being chased. He was getting away, too, as his yellow monkey tail let him loop around a lamppost and leap off it, leaving the pier and landing on the street.

Team RWBY ran closer to the Faunus as he rushed down the street. He might have gotten away, too... but a police officer got in the Faunus' way, and immediately pointed his pistol at his chest.

"Stop moving this instant!"

The Faunus stopped in his tracks, raising his hands above his shoulders. With his agility, he could have easily escaped, but he didn't.

"Everything all right, officer?"

"No, everything's not all right." The police officer was in full uniform, sunglasses hiding his eyes. "You want to explain why you were running away from the scene of a crime?"

"What crime?"

The officer's lip curled. "Don't play coy. A Dust shop nearby was robbed just a few hours ago, and you want to tell me that you never heard about that?"

"Well, I didn't."

"Well, I think you're hiding something. You're coming with me for questioning."

"For what? I didn't rob that shop, I just came here!"

The officer kept his gun pointed at the Faunus' chest, finger moving to remove the safety. Blake was about to pounce, but Ruby grabbed her wrist before she could go. Blake whirled around, teeth bared in a snarl, but Ruby stood her ground and shook her head.

"Don't forget," Ruby said.

This wasn't their fight, and so far, the Faunus boy wasn't doing anything to put himself in danger. If Blake got involved, she might reveal her true nature in the process. Fortunately, Blake relented, and Ruby let go of her. The Faunus boy continued to explain himself, unknowingly giving the sailors all the time they needed to catch up.

"You caught him, officer," one of the sailors said. He was blond.

"Was this Faunus giving you any trouble?" the officer asked.

Both sailors looked at the gun, then back at the Faunus.

"He's just a stowaway. We can take care of him."

"Are you certain?"

"We are," the other sailor said, black-haired and stern-faced.

The police officer didn't respond. Ruby hoped he'd listen. Eventually, he moved his finger away from the trigger and holstered his pistol.

"Consider this your first and only warning, boy," the officer said. "Try breaking the law again and you will regret it."

The Faunus looked away, and Ruby caught his dejected frown, before it switched into a smile. He faced the officer again.

"You got it, officer."

After exchanging nods with the sailors, the officer walked away. Ruby let out a sigh of relief. Yang was frowning at the scene, while Weiss clicked her tongue, shaking her head. As for Blake, her hands were balled into fists, and she rushed towards the Faunus.

"What gave you the idea to stow away on our ship, kid?" the blond sailor asked.

The Faunus chuckled. "Just wanted to get to Vale early. Haven't you heard? The Vytal Festival's coming up, and I plan to win."

"Yeah, we heard, but don't let your excitement steer you in the wrong direction. You're lucky we were there to bail you out."

"They're right," Blake said, after joining the Faunus and the sailors. "That officer was looking for an excuse."

"Thank the White Fang for that," the black-haired sailor said. "Bunch of robberies lately, if you didn't know."

Blake frowned. "I've seen officers justify much worse for much less than paranoia. All it takes is for them to think you're a danger."

"Makes sense to me," the Faunus said.

"Next time, if you want to come on our ship, pay up," the black-haired sailor said. "Got it?"

"You don't have to tell me twice. Thanks for the save, guys."

The blond sailor smiled. "Good luck, kid."

Once the sailors left, Ruby joined up with Blake and her fellow Faunus, Yang and Weiss following close behind.

"You alright, dude?" Yang asked.

The Faunus dropped his hands. "Yeah, thanks to those sailors."

Yang frowned. "Sorry you had to go through that."

He grinned, though it didn't have the same energy Ruby saw in his first smile. "Thanks, but I'm used it."

"It shouldn't be happening in the first place," Blake said.

Weiss was about to open her mouth, but Ruby looked at her and shook her head. It was enough to keep Weiss quiet. Judging from the calculating look in her eye, she wouldn't stay quiet for long.

"Maybe, but nothing came of it this time, so it's cool. Anyway, I have to thank you for the advice. I'm Sun, what's your name?"

"Blake, and you're welcome."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Blake."

Sun smiled, and it was this bright, daring smile that made Blake suck in a quick breath. He was a looker, with his shining blue eyes and messy blond hair and ripped, tanned abs. It was easy to see why he was so confident.

"Where did you come from?" Weiss asked.

"Vacuo. Couldn't wait for my team to catch up, so I went on ahead."

Weiss scoffed. "Typical."

"That's me, can't stay still for long. Anyway, I've gotta go. Hope to see you again, Blake."

Blake smiled. "You too."

"What about the rest of us?" Yang asked, a sly smile on her face.

Sun winked. "There's enough of me to go around. Catch you girls later."

He ran off, almost as quickly as he came in. Blake watched him leave, curiosity glazing her stare. Yang shot Ruby a mischievous grin, angling her head at Blake. Ruby shot her sister a thumbs-up. Once Blake blinked and regained her sharp gaze, they made their move.

"So, Blake, when are you going to meet up with Sun?" Yang asked.

Blake's eyes shot wide. "We just met. Let him settle down first."

"Once that happens, we'll make sure you guys get some alone time," Ruby said.

"What do you see in him?" Weiss asked.

"Have you _seen_ Sun's abs?" Yang shot back.

Weiss smirked. "They are pretty nice." Then, she crossed her arms. "But I'd prefer a good physique to be attached to someone who isn't a filthy Faunus."

"His name is Sun," Blake said. "He's not filthy, he's a person, just like you and Ruby and Yang."

Weiss craned her neck, frowning. "Sun is the type of person to stow away on a ship and run away from his rightful justice. Why should I show him any sort of respect?"

Blake's scowl returned. "Because he learned from his mistake! But how will he ever feel comfortable about accepting responsibility for his actions if people like you are around to denigrate him just because of his species!"

"Sun didn't feel remorse for breaking the law. If that police officer didn't catch him, he would have run off to irritate someone else. I wouldn't be surprised if Sun joins those freaks in the White Fang –"

"That's enough, Weiss," Ruby said.

"Would you stop interrupting me?" Weiss said.

Ruby frowned. "I'll stop when you stop calling the Faunus names just because you don't like them."

Weiss seethed. "They're CRIMINALS. If you want me to give those terrorists an ounce of respect, then don't bother wasting your breath."

"What about Sun? He's not part of the White Fang."

"He will be, mark my words."

Blake stepped right in front of Weiss. "If he does, it'll be because of arrogant, judgemental, close-minded bigots like you giving him so much grief that he won't have any other choice!"

Shock like Ruby had never seen Weiss show burst on her face, silencing her. A moment later, she glared at Blake, fury searing across both of her blue eyes.

"I am not bigoted! You're the one apologizing for those terrorists at every turn, and for what? They made their choice to join a radical terrorist group and ruin innocent people's lives. Some Faunus are good people, but there isn't a single member of the White Fang beyond saving!"

"Why is that? Why can't someone from the White Fang leave and become a better person?"

"That's never happened, and you know it."

Blake was about to say something, but Yang clasped her shoulder. She grabbed Weiss' shoulder too, and pushed them back.

"Cool it, guys," Yang said. "You want to argue about this? Do it back at Beacon, where no one else can hear you."

Blake clicked her tongue. "What's the point? Weiss won't listen to a word I say."

"That's because I'm right and you're wrong."

"Really? You still haven't told me why the White Fang would steal from those Dust shops, because you can't, and you blame them because you're too bigoted to assume that someone else might be responsible!"

"I don't need to state the obvious, but it appears that I have to since you aren't as smart as I thought you were."

Even with Yang holding them apart, Blake and Weiss were so angry at each other that someone was going to say something they'd regret very soon, and that was the last thing Ruby wanted to see.

"Stop fighting like this!" Ruby said. "If you really want to fight, do in the arena, but not here, not like this."

Blake turned away from Weiss. "I won't fight. Weiss isn't worth it."

Weiss sniffed. "You aren't worth fighting over, either, Blake. But that doesn't mean you're off the hook. This discussion is far from over."

* * *

Unfortunately, Weiss was right. As soon as Team RWBY returned to their dorm room, Blake immediately got in Weiss' face.

"Why did the White Fang rob those shops?" Blake asked. "What's their motive?"

Ruby figured that the time it took for them to return to Beacon would be enough time for them to cool down and realize that this argument wasn't worth having, but it looked like they were just stewing in their anger, waiting for the first chance to lash out.

Weiss scoffed. "They don't need a motive to attack innocent people, but since you asked: they want humanity to be afraid of them, so they can take what they want and leave us with the scraps."

"Then why didn't they attack the shop owners?"

"What does it matter? They've done much worse, and all it's done is undermine whatever message they've been fighting for. There are so many other ways for their voices to be heard, yet they chose the worst way possible, only because that's all they're good for."

Blake scowled, and through it, Ruby saw all of the suffering she had to bear as a Faunus.

"That's utter garbage. The White Fang doesn't exist because they wanted to hurt people. No one cares if a Faunus child is assaulted right in front of them, because humans pull on their ears or their tails and get away with it. After all, they know the Faunus won't fight back. Faunus are refused jobs just because of their species, even if they're more qualified and more capable. If they manage to get a job, they're blacklisted the moment they make one mistake."

"And their answer to all of this is to what, burn down buildings and assault innocent people?"

"They wouldn't do that if they were given the rights and the dignity they deserve in the first place!"

"But they did! Who's going to watch all of this chaos unfold and think that the Faunus are peaceful people who deserve to be treated equally?"

"They tried peaceful protests, awareness programs, everything you could possibly think of, but people only started listening once they got violent!"

"And look where it got them."

Blake took in a couple of harsh breaths, trying to steady herself.

"It got them results, but it never would have reached that point if they were given a real chance. And don't tell me it's because they're criminals. You gave Ruby a chance after hearing about what she did, but you won't give someone from the White Fang that same chance just because of their species."

"Don't bring Ruby into this," Yang said, voice backed by the threat lacing her words.

Ruby's breathing quickened. "It's okay, Yang. Blake was trying to make a point."

Blake nodded. "That's right. Ruby deserved a second chance, just like a Faunus that does wrong deserves a chance to do the right thing."

Weiss sneered. "Ruby killed a criminal who deserved to die while trying to apprehend him, and she still felt remorse for what she did. The White Fang thinks that being mistreated and facing injustice gives them the right to steal and kill! All they deserve is to be thrown in jail to rot and die!"

The harsh scowl that appeared on Blake's face made Ruby's heart skip a beat. It honestly felt like Blake was a second away from ripping Weiss' head off, and that wasn't a remotely fair thought at all.

"You're wrong, Weiss. They deserve a chance to redeem themselves."

"This again? The White Fang wouldn't feel remorse if it hit them in the face, because they're pure evil!"

"Wrong again. You said that no one's ever left the White Fang and become a better person, but you're wrong about that, too."

"I am? Then tell me exactly why you think I'm wrong."

Ruby stared at Blake, noticing how she was shaking from fury, and hoped she wasn't going to do something she'd regret.

"Blake, it's okay –"

Blake raised a hand. "No, Ruby, this is my fight. Let me handle this."

At this point, this argument wouldn't stop until it ended, because Blake and Weiss would find another place to scream at each other. Ruby knew that feeling well, and she sympathized with them both. But there was a big difference between fighting with blades and Dust, and fighting with harsh words.

The scars that formed were harder to heal when they were made on the inside.

"Okay," Ruby said.

Blake took in a deep breath, steeling herself, then returned her full attention to Weiss. "You want to know why I believe a member of the White Fang can leave and get better? Because I was part of the White Fang, and I left!"

Ruby froze. It couldn't be... but there was no way that Blake was lying, not about something as serious as this. Yang was shocked, too, staring at Blake like she'd grown an extra pair of ears. Weiss was thoroughly surprised, staggering backwards. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

Blake stared at each of them, drinking in their astonishment. Ruby immediately remembered that Blake was her partner and friend first, but it was too late to reassure her. Blake wilted, all of her anger dropping out of her body, leaving nothing but fear etched in her face.

"I..."

She bolted out of their room. Ruby didn't wait: she ran after her partner. Blake was fast, and had a head-start... but Ruby was faster. She caught up with Blake before she got out of the dorms.

"Wait, Blake! Please!"

Blake didn't stop, and Ruby continued to chase after her until they left the dorms altogether and entered the courtyard. The broken moon shone on them, and before Ruby tried to grab her, Blake finally stopped running, only a metre ahead. She turned around.

Tears were streaming down her face.

Ruby's heart sank.

"Are you okay?"

Blake furiously wiped her face, scrubbing all traces of wetness. When she was done, all that was left was a resentful frown.

"No. I knew this would happen. You're afraid of me."

Ruby smiled, tentatively. "I'm not afraid of you, Blake. I was just surprised. Same goes for Yang. It's not every day you find out about something like this."

"You didn't mention Weiss."

She bit her lip. "Weiss will come around. It's like you said, she gave me a chance, she just needs time. And if she doesn't come around, we're here for you, Blake."

A smile broke out on Blake's face, but it was brittle, seconds away from falling apart.

"I really appreciate that."

Ruby's smile bloomed, bursting into life. "You supported me when I needed it, so it's only fair that I help you, too."

The wind whistled around them, the only sound in the courtyard other than the sounds they made. Ruby stepped forward, closing the gap. Blake stood carefully still.

"What do you want to do?"

"I'm... going to go clear my head."

Ruby's smile wavered. She knew what was coming, but a small part of her hoped she was wrong.

"Then you'll come back, right?"

Blake pursed her lips. She didn't need to say a word, because Ruby heard her message loud and clear.

"What happened to talking things out? We can get through this, together."

"I wish I could. You're a good person, Ruby. But Weiss isn't. Even if I go back, she won't look at me like I'm her equal. You can't undo years of hateful thinking at the drop of a hat, and quite frankly, I don't want anything to do with her. I'm so tired of dealing with all of this."

The resignation in her tone, that unbearable sound of defeat didn't make Ruby wither from guilt. Far from it. It set Ruby's blood on fire.

"I thought you came here to make yourself a better person."

"I did."

Ruby scowled. "Then why do you want to run away? You'll just be wasting your time if you do that. Even if nobody else finds out about your past, you still have to look in the mirror every day and hear those bad thoughts you want to forget!"

Blake's face contorted, torn between fury and sadness. It settled on a mask of cold indifference.

"Doing that won't stop Weiss or anyone like her from looking down on people like me. It won't undo everything I did as part of the White Fang."

Ruby faced Blake, the anger searing through her veins fuelling her resolve.

"You're right, it won't. I don't know what it's like to be a Faunus, and I can't imagine what you've had to go through. But I know what it's like to deal with a reputation you can't control. Some people think I'm cool, others don't like me, and a few don't care at all, but none of those people got to know the real me.

"You did. If I ran away, I wouldn't have been able to find you and Weiss and Jaune and all my other friends. I still have a hard time coping with what I did to Torchwick, but it's thanks to all of you that I'm not afraid to face myself. Knowing that I have more than one person to count on is the biggest reason why I can enjoy being here."

Blake looked right through Ruby, and there was something inscrutable in her golden eyes that Ruby couldn't figure out. Hopefully, Blake understood what Ruby was trying to say. She didn't want to ignore her troubles, not for a second, and she hoped that she didn't offend her partner.

Eventually, Blake blinked, cutting down some of the suffocating tension hanging between them.

"I still want some time alone."

"It's okay. Take all the time you need."

"I will. But I am going to come back."

"You promise?"

Ruby immediately cursed herself the moment those words left her mouth. She shouldn't have said that, it was so lame.

"I do," Blake said, putting Ruby's pity party to an abrupt end.

Ruby smiled, utterly relieved. "That's great. Thank you, Blake."

"No, thank you. I don't know if what you said will help, but I did need to hear it."

"Just give it a try, and if you don't get it right the first time, I'll help you figure things out. We're partners, Blake. You don't have to do things on your own."

"I know."

Blake smiled at her, before walking away. Ruby let her go. Seeing her smile made her realize that she wasn't saying empty words. She meant everything she said, which meant that she would come back.

When she returned, Ruby would make absolutely sure that Blake felt safe and able to feel like she could trust someone without getting burned.

* * *

It took Weiss a few seconds to process what Blake just told them. She was a member of the White Fang, a prospect so ludicrous that she never seriously considered it. Yet, when she did, all of Blake's little idiosyncrasies began to make sense. Even her last name wasn't mere coincidence, it was a glowing sign of her true allegiance, and she was a fool for not realizing it sooner.

Before she could say anything to her teammate, Blake ran away. Ruby followed suit, without telling either of them of her plans. However, Blake was her partner. It was her right to deal with her as she saw fit.

With half of Team RWBY gone, Weiss was left alone with her own partner, and Yang was not remotely amused.

"Are you happy now, Weiss?"

Weiss grit her teeth. "Of course not! Our teammate was part of the White Fang. She hid this from us!"

Yang shook her head, but rather than respond, she closed their door first. Then, she marched towards her, looming larger with step after inexorable step before she stopped right in front of her. Instead of the furious red-eyed glare she expected to see, Yang's eyes were a calm lilac. Her frown was chiding, like a mother about to scold her child.

(Not that she had the privilege of knowing about that.)

"I'm not surprised she did. I wouldn't tell anyone about that with you on my team. Did you hear all that stuff you were saying back there?"

Weiss frowned, trying to gather her resolve before it slipped past her fingers. "I didn't want to lose an argument against Blake, not when it was about the White Fang. There was no way I was going to let her think that the White Fang have any reason to exist after everything they've done."

"Okay, I'm not saying you're wrong for how you feel about the White Fang. But did you have to call them freaks and degenerates? You're better than that."

When she thought about the vile words that spewed out of her mouth, she quailed. She didn't care for the Faunus, she was never given a reason to, but not only did she provide Blake with loads of ammunition to gain the upper hand, she debased herself in the process.

"I am better than that," Weiss said. "However, that doesn't change the facts: Blake was part of the White Fang. If she was serious about leaving, why didn't she go to the authorities and admit her crimes?"

"Would you do it?"

Weiss scoffed. Of course she would... but she'd never been put in the position to put her money where her mouth was. The only other person she knew who committed a crime was Ruby, and from what she knew, Ruby had admitted responsibility for her actions, despite the fact that it was self-defence at worst.

"I can't answer that question."

Yang smirked. "Well, I wouldn't. But that doesn't mean I'd keep committing crimes. Did Blake seem like the type of person to blow up a train or burn down buildings?"

"No."

Although, she hadn't been on the best of terms with Blake, meaning that she barely got to know her or recognize what she was capable of.

"Exactly. Blake left the White Fang for a reason, and if she wants to keep that part of her life to herself, that's her business. What matters is that she's trying to become a huntress and fight the good fight."

"That doesn't absolve her of anything."

Her partner frowned. "It doesn't, but there's no point in pushing her away and making her feel like she isn't welcome to change. Do you want her to go back to the White Fang?"

"Of course not! But you want to know what bothers me the most? Blake hid herself among us for months, knowing full well who she was and what she did, yet when she decided to reveal her past, she didn't stand her ground. After everything she said, that was the least she could have done. Instead, she didn't like the reaction she saw and ran away! The innocent have nothing to hide, Yang."

"Yeah, they don't. I don't blame her for running anyway, because you wouldn't have given her a second to explain herself."

"No, I – "

"Don't lie to me, Weiss!"

Weiss scowled. Yang's temper reared finally its ugly head, but three months of dealing with her partner helped Weiss learn when and why she got angry. Because of that knowledge, she was well aware that Yang wasn't one to flaunt her power and authority over people she deemed inferior. It made tolerating her outbursts a lot more palatable.

"I wouldn't have, okay? I would have torn into Blake for admitting she was part of the White Fang, and I wouldn't have given her an ounce of sympathy, either."

"Because you didn't want to lose, right?"

"Exactly."

Weiss' scowl quavered, guilt swarming her for reasons she couldn't understand. Rather than confront it, she smothered it with fury.

"In the end, I would have done all that without a second thought. If you want to tell me I'm wrong, then go ahead, but it won't change a thing."

Before Yang could say a word, the door opened, revealing Ruby. Without Blake at her side.

"Don't tell me you guys are fighting, too," Ruby said.

Weiss frowned. "We weren't fighting, we were having a discussion."

"I heard your voices from down the hallway."

Yang cracked a smile with ease. "Things got heated for a bit, but we were just about to wrap things up."

Ruby looked at both of them, clearly not buying what Yang was trying to sell. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, Ruby," Weiss said. "Yang and I have an understanding: we can fight and argue as loudly as the situation requires, but at the end of the day, we're partners, with all that implies."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Yang said.

Ruby frowned. "If you say so."

In spite of her words, Ruby had relaxed.

"Where's Blake?" Yang asked.

"She needed some space, but she'll be coming back soon."

Weiss scoffed. "Are you sure?"

The glare she received from her leader made Weiss regret opening her mouth.

"I am, and when Blake comes back, you're going to apologize to her for all the mean stuff you said."

Weiss took in a deep breath. She wanted to say no, but that wouldn't get her anywhere. Ruby cared a lot about her partner, that much was obvious from all the time they spent together. If nothing else, Blake felt the same way. The way Blake took care of Ruby was one of the few things Weiss respected about her.

"If Blake comes back, I will apologize for the mean things I said about her."

"You'd better. She's our teammate, got it? Nothing about that changes!"

Weiss crossed her arms. "I won't argue with you on that."

"Good."

Ruby did raise an interesting point. Blake still was her teammate, regardless of where her loyalties lay. Weiss had trusted Blake to defend her when fighting the Grimm, and they worked decently well together. In the event that Blake returned, she could perhaps continue to maintain a professional relationship with her, if only to ensure that her reputation and her performance didn't suffer.

Everything else was off the table. Quite frankly, it was baffling that Ruby was acting as if Blake hadn't told them she used to be a terrorist, friendship or not.

"Can I ask you something, Ruby?"

"What?"

"Did you know Blake was part of the White Fang before she told us?"

Ruby's indignant glare evaporated. "No, I didn't."

Weiss faltered. It did explain why Ruby was so surprised, but her attempts at protecting Blake from herself still stood out.

"Is Blake hiding something else?"

Ruby stared at her boots. Her refusal to say anything was all Weiss needed to hear. There was a large part of her that wanted Ruby to reveal Blake's secret, but she suppressed that impulse.

"I suppose I'll have to find out from Blake herself," Weiss said.

Ruby looked up, staring at her with her large silver eyes. "Thanks, Weiss."

"Don't get this twisted, I'm not doing this for her sake."

It wouldn't be right if she made Ruby betray Blake's trust in her, not after all of the anguish she experienced in trying to hide her own secret.

"Can I ask you something, Weiss?"

"Go ahead."

"Did the White Fang do something to hurt you?"

Weiss sighed. Her anger towards the White Fang did come off as rather unhinged out of its proper context.

"They've been at war with my family for as long as I could remember."

Weiss went on to explain how the White Fang attacked her family company's shipments, kidnapped family friends and executed executives. Through the White Fang's actions, her father would be furious at home, resulting in Weiss experiencing a difficult childhood. Strangely enough, it made Yang look at her with what appeared to be guilt, of all things.

By the time she finished, Ruby and Yang looked at her, sympathetic to her plight.

"You shouldn't have had to go through all that," Ruby said.

Yang nodded. "Yeah, it sucks. I totally get why you'd hate the White Fang. That being said, I really think you should have told Blake about this."

Weiss frowned. "I'm not sure if it would have helped. However, I will tell her."

Until then, Weiss would wait, and reflect, and hope that Blake didn't prove her right.


	9. Retribution

Chapter 9: Retribution

The streets of Vale were empty so late at night.

A dissonant silence punctuated every step Blake took, drowning in fluorescent orange rays every time the streetlights touched her skin. Those same lights chafed at her eyes, buzzing with a low, irritating hum audible only to her cat ears.

All of these contrasting sensations weren't enough to stifle her thoughts. Her quest was supposed to be simple: leave the White Fang, become a huntress, atone. In doing so, Blake would be able to escape from a past heavy with regret and spend the rest of her life earning her redemption.

Her past was a Nevermore that dug its talons in her brain and ensnared her convictions, twisting them under the immense weight of her doubt. There was no escaping it, no matter what she tried. The White Fang still existed. She was still a Faunus, hidden ears or otherwise.

Being aware of that fact, and being willing to work for her atonement didn't prepare her for the trials she was forced to endure on this arduous path. She would never get used to the endless scourge of bigotry and racism her people had to suffer through, but what made it truly disgusting to stomach was the fact that none of her efforts bore fruit.

What had she accomplished during her tenure in the White Fang, other than being witness to her comrades murdering innocent people for their cause and watching her parents' efforts to bring peace be strangled by the White Fang's policy of fear?

Nothing. Nothing worth taking pride in.

The fact that Weiss Schnee of all people had ground to stand on while her family's company denigrated the Faunus and she got away with her vile rhetoric aggravated her like almost nothing else.

It was that thought that lingered in her mind as she trudged on, eventually finding a place to stay before exhaustion claimed her and left her body defenseless to anything that might harm it. Sleep didn't come easily to her, but when it did, morning swiftly arrived, and she was relieved of most of her fatigue.

Since it was the start of the weekend, she didn't have to go back to Beacon, not when she'd have to explain her absence and deal with that prejudiced little girl. In spite of herself, a wry, disdainful smile crossed her face.

She was a coward to her last breath. At the first sign of adversity, she closed herself off, and at the second, she tried to run. The only reason why she hadn't succeeded was because her partner had convinced her otherwise. Ruby Rose had enough courage for them both, it seemed.

The least she could do for herself was grab something to eat. She found a decent coffee shop not too far away from her hotel, facing the ocean. The cacophony of noise coming from inane – yet pleasant – conversation and speeding cars came as a stark contrast to last night's desolate loneliness.

In a way, it was a reprieve, a reminder of better times. Prejudice aside, she was doing well at Beacon, bonding with Ruby and being on good terms with Yang, finding a kindred spirit in Velvet and enjoying the company of Team JNPR. Those memories shouldn't have been tarnished by one person, not when she could make so many more.

Yet...

"Is this seat taken?"

Blake blinked, looking up at her visitor. It was Sun, a pleasant smile on his face.

"No, it isn't," she said. "Take a seat."

Sun did just that, and Blake returned to her breakfast. She picked this coffee shop in particular because it had a seafood breakfast special, and she didn't plan on missing out on fresh fish for anything. Tuna was her favourite kind, for how the meat exploded into a barrage of flavours that sank into her tastebuds, but she also liked salmon, hake, yellowtail, bass, trout, and every other fish in all of Remnant's many seas.

Along with their refreshing milk tea that warmed up her body the second it passed through her lips, she was glad that she found one positive on her lonesome trip.

"What are you doing out here?" Sun asked.

Blake swallowed her food, wiped her mouth with a napkin. With how immersed she was in her meal, among other factors, she had nearly forgotten that Sun had joined her, and was waiting patiently for her to engage in conversation.

"Eating."

"I can tell. The food looks great."

"It tastes better."

Blake was about to return to her meal, but a pang of guilt seared her chest. She wasn't obligated to speak to someone she barely knew just because he was nice and good-looking, but it was pretty rude of her to waste his time. Normally, she wouldn't have cared about that, but she had been learning to consider other people's feelings over the past month, so she decided against leaving Sun out in the cold.

"Do you want some?"

Sun shook his head. "I already had breakfast, but I appreciate the offer."

"No problem."

Another pleasant smile graced Sun's face, striking Blake with a strange feeling. It didn't take long for her to figure out what that feeling was: resentment.

"How are you doing, Sun?" Blake asked, keeping her voice level.

"I'm doing great. What about you?"

'Okay' would have been an okay response, but not only was it not true, she didn't ask about Sun's feelings just to receive some platitude.

"Could be better."

Sun nodded, smile never wavering. "How can I help?"

Blake immediately frowned. "You're a really positive person, aren't you?"

"I try to be."

"Why?"

"Why not?"

Blake sighed, trying to stave off her mounting frustration. "When that officer pointed a gun at you, most people would've been too shocked to keep their cool, and if they weren't, they would've been angry or afraid, but you shook it off like it was nothing. Not only that, you're always smiling, too."

Sun set his hands on the round table, mouth pulled in a half-smile.

"It wasn't like I was in any real danger, was I?"

"No."

If Sun was a huntsman-in-training, he was more than capable of surviving a gunshot, more than capable of defending his life if he ever needed to do so.

"But it's not about the danger, it's the message that officer sent. He profiled you just because you were a Faunus, and he would have thrown you in jail if those sailors didn't bail you out."

Even if they hadn't, she would've stepped up and protected Sun. She wouldn't let herself be a bystander a second time.

"They did, which is all that matters. I don't have to tell you that this stuff happens to us Faunus, so what's the use in getting angry at them?"

"You should be angry, Sun. You should be furious for what you've had to go through."

Sun's smile waned. "I was, but it got me nowhere. It didn't feel good, either. Besides, it's not really that bad in Vacuo, and from what I've seen, Vale has it pretty good, too. Why should I let a few jerks ruin my day?"

Blake couldn't respond to that, even though she desperately wanted to convince Sun that they had to fight back against their oppressors, keep them from bullying and harassing them just because of their race.

She didn't because Sun wasn't resigned to his fate, he was fighting back in his own way.

"I bet you've had to go through all that crap too."

Sun's question sounded innocuous enough, but from the sharp look in his blue eyes, he knew more than he was letting on, just from intuition.

Blake's shoulders dropped. "I have." She glanced around the coffee shop and saw no one looking their way, so she wiggled her cat ears, nestled comfortably beneath her black bow.

"Thought so." Sun smiled pretty tenderly. "I don't blame you for wanting to hide."

"Thank you."

Blake returned to her breakfast, finishing it off before it got cold. She didn't mind eating cold food, but it was better fresh. It also gave her time to think about a proper response.

"Have you thought about hiding your tail?"

"Yeah. It's not something I'd do, though. I'd rather have people hate me for who I am than love me for who I'm not. If I hide who I am, what happens when the cat's out of the bag?"

Blake bit her lip. "You raise a good point." She frowned, staring into her tea cup. "I'm really tired of dealing with all of this hatred."

"At least you're not joining up with those losers in the White Fang."

She fixed with with a cold stare. Sun immediately flinched.

"What's up?"

Blake sighed. "They're not supposed to be losers. They've been fighting for Faunus rights."

Sun frowned. "No offense, but that's not how I see it. All they do is use force to get what they want and act like a bunch of arrogant, self-righteous creeps. They give all us Faunus a bad name."

Hearing Sun criticize the White Fang brought up a reflexive wave of annoyance, but Blake clamped down on her sharply-honed instinct to defend her comrades. After all, it was different when it came from a Faunus, and she wasn't blind to their faults.

"You're right. It's why I left."

If Sun had been drinking something, he might have choked on it. As he wasn't, his fist curled as he did a double-take.

"Seriously?"

"Yes. You could say I was born into it."

She told Sun about the movement her parents began – without telling him who her parents were – and how they strove for peaceful protests and demonstrations to make progress on the tenuous peace the humans and the Faunus constructed in the ashes of war. She told him how the increasing craving for violent upheaval resulted in a change in leadership, which led to the White Fang using terrorism and chaos to achieve their goals.

It worked, and the humans were starting to treat the Faunus with respect and dignity, but it was born from fear. And somewhere along the way, they had lost sight of their true purpose. She watched good, proud people become shadows of their former selves, pain and hatred driving them to acts she couldn't condone.

So she left, ran away from the White Fang, because she wanted nothing to do with this mockery of their cause.

"After I left, I chose to be a huntress, and spend the rest of my life doing good."

Sun took a few moments to process everything she said. It was clear that he listened to every word.

"Sorry, Blake. Didn't mean to hit a sore spot."

"It's okay."

"Do your friends know?"

Blake frowned. "They do. I wasn't planning on telling any of them... until it happened."

"So that's why you're on your own."

"Yes. But I'm going to return. I made my partner a promise."

Sun smiled. "I hope you get to keep it."

Blake let herself smile. "I'm going to."

With that said, she still didn't feel like she was ready to return, so she decided to spend the rest of her morning together with Sun, walking around Vale. His steady presence and constant stream of conversation was welcome, since he understood a lot of what she was going through, and was kind enough not to judge her for what she did or how she expressed herself.

It reminded her of Ruby. She didn't have Sun's easy-going confidence or roguish charm, but her enthusiasm and her empathy more than covered the difference, and more than that, she found herself wondering what Ruby would think about a book she'd just finished reading or looking forward to spending time studying with her.

If anything, seeing Ruby struggle and manage to resolve her own demons made Blake believe that she had a chance to truly redeem herself, no matter how hard it got. However, a chance was not a guarantee of success.

As they passed shops cordoned off by police tape, Blake tensed up. The police were still on high alert patrolling the streets, and she was worried about Sun being out in the open, even though the only thing he was guilty of was being a bit too debonair for his own good. Her disguise would hold up to scrutiny; she trained her cat ears to stay still on command, and trained herself to ignore the urge to scratch them.

"I still can't believe the White Fang robbed all these stores," Sun said.

Blake frowned, but she held herself back. "I don't think they did it. They never needed that much Dust, and if they did, they'd take it from a bigger target."

Sun's eyes lit up. "What if they knew about a shipment coming in tomorrow?"

She nearly stopped walking. "What are you talking about?"

"When I was on that ship, I heard some guys talking about a huge shipment of Dust coming in from Atlas. Apparently, it's being brought in by this big freighter owned by the Schnee Dust Company."

Blake bristled. "You're sure about this?"

"Positive."

She stopped walking altogether. The White Fang might not have robbed those Dust shops, but an SDC freighter was definitely within their wheelhouse.

"Then let's check it out."

"Just the two of us?"

If the White Fang were going to be in the area, it would be dangerous going in with only Sun as backup.

"No. I don't want to do this alone. I'll call in a favour."

"Good idea. I've got a friend who can help us out."

Blake raised an eyebrow. "You trust this friend?"

"I don't think she can lie. You'll see what I mean."

She sighed. "I'll vet her when we meet up at the site."

Sun nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

* * *

Ruby walked to her dorm after studying for a couple of hours at the library. There weren't any classes today, since it was a Saturday, but she got a couple of odd looks when people noticed Blake wasn't at her side.

She remembered one conversation in particular that involved her classmate Tori, that awkward brown-haired girl who asked her a lot of questions on her first day of school to find out more about those rumours.

" _Hi, Ruby. I was wondering where Blake was."_

" _She needed some alone time. She'll be back when she's ready."_

" _Okay. Thanks for telling me."_

" _No problem."_

" _I know what it's like to need some time for self-care, so if you see her, tell Blake that I hope she's feeling better."_

" _I will."_

It was still a surprise that Tori had actually accepted Ruby after finding her answers, considering how skittish she was. She was pretty nice, but somehow, she was worse at talking to people than Ruby was. While Ruby wasn't close to Tori, it was good to have someone she could talk to whenever her team wasn't around.

However, that conversation was a firm reminder of how much she missed Blake, even though she hadn't even been gone for one whole day. It had only been a few months, but Blake had wormed her way into her life and marked a big place in it. They practised and exercised together, spent time by listening to music and talking about all sorts of things.

Being on her own wasn't nice, and while she could hang out with Yang or Weiss, or anyone from Team JNPR, she wanted Blake to be around them. She belonged at Beacon with her friends, and if anyone wanted to kick her out because she was a Faunus, she'd fight them off with Crescent Rose or even her fists.

When she reached her dorm, she expected it to be empty, since Weiss and Yang were off working out at the gym. Instead, Blake was there, sitting on her bed.

"Blake? You're really here?"

Blake faced her, and smiled. "I am, Ruby."

Ruby grinned, and raced to her partner's side. She wanted to hug her, but she still wasn't sure if Blake liked that, so she settled for sitting next to her and smiling widely.

"You came back. Thank you, Blake, thank you so much."

Blake looked away from Ruby, smiling rather shyly... almost like she was hiding a blush. "I promised. So now, I'm back. Did I miss anything?"

Ruby regaled Blake on her adventures during the day. Not much happened, but she was happy to share her experience with Blake, grateful and overjoyed that she returned and kept her promise.

"That's great, Ruby. I had a good time myself. I spent some time with Sun, and he helped me come to terms with a couple of things I was struggling with. In fact, there's something I want to tell you."

"What is it?"

That was when the door opened, revealing Yang and Weiss engaged in a conversation that ended the second Weiss noticed them.

"Welcome back, Blake!" Yang said, smiling like she always did.

"Thank you, Yang," Blake said.

Weiss swallowed audibly, staring at Blake with a hawk-like gaze. Blake didn't make eye contact, staring at her lap instead. She was holding back a lot of anger, it was written so clearly on her face.

"Weiss has something to say to you, Blake," Ruby said. "Isn't that right?"

Blake glanced at Ruby, bewildered. "Come again?"

Ruby looked at Weiss, giving her the room to speak. Weiss inhaled, then took a step towards Blake and exhaled.

"Regardless of my feelings towards the White Fang, I shouldn't have used such awful language when referring to the Faunus. It wasn't necessary, and not only did it weaken my argument, there is no justification for calling a Faunus a degenerate or any of the other insults I used."

A silence fell in their room, as Ruby waited for Blake's response with bated breath.

"Nice try," Blake said. "Who put you up to this? Was it Ruby, Yang?"

"It was me," Ruby said. "But Weiss is serious, Blake. You don't have to forgive her if you don't want to, but please don't put her down."

"Thank you, Ruby," Weiss said.

Blake frowned. "Fine, I won't put her down. I didn't return for Weiss or her half-hearted attempt at an apology."

Weiss scowled. "Half-hearted? How dare you? I meant every word I said!"

Yang set a hand on Weiss' shoulder. "Give her some time, okay?"

A rough breath escaped Weiss' lips. "Okay."

Blake shook her head. "Moving on. There's a shipment of Dust coming in from Atlas tomorrow evening. I'm suspecting that the White Fang might be involved, and I want to see that for myself. Ruby, can you come with me?"

Ruby bit her lip. "Shouldn't this be something the police can handle?"

"We're just going to check it out. If they're there, we'll contact the police."

She wasn't eager to fight criminals again, or get close to them... but it was an opportunity to do good, and help out a friend.

"Okay. This means a lot to you, so I've got your back."

"Can I come along too?" Yang asked.

Blake shrugged. "Sure, if you're up for it. The more, the merrier."

Yang grinned. "Awesome."

That left Weiss, who placed her hand on her hip, sneering.

"So, you've finally come around, have you?"

Blake scowled. "Whatever you're insinuating, I don't want to hear another word."

Weiss frowned. "I'm not insinuating anything, Blake. I was intending to offer my assistance to your plot."

Blake froze from shock. "You're joking."

"Please. The White Fang are going to attack my family's shipment. Of course I'm going to get involved. I'd rather drop dead than let those people commit any more crimes."

Blake rolled her eyes. "Right." She stared right through Weiss. "If you're willing to help us, then I won't stop you."

Weiss didn't flinch. "You made the right decision."

"Looks like Team RWBY's got a mission," Yang said.

"That's right," Ruby said. "And when the time comes, we'll be ready for anything."

* * *

The next day, Team RWBY was suited up and ready to investigate the docks, where Blake said the Schnee Dust Company's freighter would be arriving. First, they had to meet up with Sun, who wasn't alone.

A girl with bright, curly orange hair tied up with a pink bow was standing next to him. She was dressed up rather modestly, with an off-white long-sleeved blouse tucked into a short gray dress that hung just below the top of her black stockings, which covered almost all of her legs.

"Hey, ladies, nice to see you," Sun said.

Yang smiled. "Good to see you too, Sun. Who's your friend?"

Sun smiled. "This is Penny. We met yesterday, after you guys helped me out of that jam. She's touring the city, too, and we hit it off."

"Salutations!" Penny said. "It's a pleasure to meet you all."

"You too," Ruby said. "I'm Ruby."

"Weiss."

"Name's Yang."

"And I'm Blake."

Penny smiled, a bit too widely for Ruby's liking. "It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Didn't you say that?" Yang asked.

She looked at Sun, who shot her a thumbs-up. "I did! That means I'm doubly pleased to meet you!"

Blake gave Penny a once-over, frowning slightly. "Are you sure that Penny can help us, Sun?"

Sun chuckled. "I wasn't sure at first, but she said she's combat ready, and trust me, she means it."

"That doesn't mean she understands the gravity of what we're about to do," Weiss said. "We're not participating in a training exercise, we're about to engage with hardened criminals. Is that something you're capable of appreciating, Penny?"

Penny nodded, firmly. "Our goal is to gather evidence of the White Fang wanting to steal the shipment of Dust being transported to Vale's docks by the Schnee Dust Company. Once that evidence is secured, we'll inform the police and other relevant authorities to secure their arrest and prevent them from stealing the shipment."

Ruby blinked. That was one impressive summary of their plan.

"I stand corrected," Weiss said.

"Fantastic!" Penny said. "I look forward to working with all of you, and helping my new friend Sun help you all."

Yang smiled. "Same here, Penny."

"Let's get started," Blake said.

By the time they reached the docks, gray clouds were starting to cover the setting sun. They split up into three groups of two: Ruby was with Blake on one rooftop, Weiss and Yang were on a white shipping container adjacent to them, while Sun and Penny were on top of the building opposite Ruby and Blake.

There was definitely a shipment of cargo being off-loaded from the big ship, and every container bore the Schnee Dust Company's logo. So far, the staff transferring the cargo into the nearby warehouses were doing their jobs. Other than the large police squad watching them, it looked like a completely ordinary day of work.

At least, it seemed that way to Ruby.

Nothing was really happening, so she counted the number of police cars and officers in the area. In total, there were three police cars, one SUV, and twenty-four officers. One of them put a hand to his ear, before quickly issuing orders to his allies. In a matter seconds, most of the police officers left, leaving the SUV and a half-dozen officers remaining.

A couple of minutes after they left, a bullhead – a black VTOL aircraft with twin thrusters – descended, very close to the cargo containers. Winds blew all around it as made contact with the ground, and once it landed, a bunch of people clad in black hoods and wearing gray masks emerged from the cabin and walked down the black ramp: some were carrying assault rifles, others were carrying long swords.

Ruby recognized the insignia on their backs: a bloody wolf with three claw marks.

It was the White Fang.

"I wanted to believe they weren't going to get involved," Blake said, bitterness saturating her every word. "But I knew it, I just didn't want to admit it."

"It's okay," Ruby said. "Now we know the truth."

"Move it!" one of the White Fang's members said. "This cargo is official property of the White Fang!"

Before they could go any further, four of the police officers ran behind their cars, holding up assault rifles of their own.

"Drop your weapons!" a police officer said. "This is your first and only warning!"

They were held in a stand-off, the White Fang holding a slight numbers advantage... until another bullhead arrived. A blur burst out of the cabin's entrance, hitting the ground without pausing for breath, before racing towards the two officers who stood about fifty metres behind their comrades as backup.

One of those officers noticed the oncoming blur and blasted a warning shop. It didn't stop the blur for a second. Both officers fired their rifles, but they weren't unable to hit as the fighter weaved around the bullets, faster than them both. About five metres away, the fighter leaped into the air and knocked both officers out with a split kick that connected flush on their jaws.

For a moment after landing, the fighter stopped moving, revealing the fighter to be a young woman with pink hair, dressed in a sharply tailored white jacket and dark brown leggings tucked into white boots, a pink umbrella held loosely in her right hand. Her onslaught was enough for the White Fang to start shooting at the officers, resulting in a firefight between the two forces.

"Why is a human aiding the White Fang?" Blake asked.

Ruby frowned. "I don't know. I'm calling the police."

Blake sighed, face pinched from stress. "Do it."

She pulled out her scroll and dialled Vale's emergency number.

"What is your emergency?" the operator asked.

"There's a robbery taking place at Vale's docks!" Ruby said. "It's the White Fang and an unknown fighter who's responsible."

"Understood. Help is on the way. For your safety, I advise you to stay as far away from harm as possible."

Once Ruby hung up, she watched the woman rush at the police cars, deflecting the bullets with her umbrella and knocking out all four remaining police officers, who were too distracted by the White Fang to properly defend themselves from her assault. That didn't mean that they didn't contribute: three of the five White Fang operatives were wounded, not having an Aura shield or body armour for protection.

As for the woman, she brandished her umbrella and pointed at the cargo containers, tilting her head to the side. Compared to the White Fang, she was very short, even though she was wearing heels, but the White Fang listened to her, and started latching the containers to their bullheads with tow cables.

"Let's go!" Blake said.

Blake jumped off the roof, rolling twice after she landed. Ruby was about to follow her, but she froze. This was it. She couldn't make a mistake, hurt anyone too badly. With a deep breath, she steadied her nerves and followed her partner into the fray.

All they had to do was protect the cargo from being stolen and wait for the police to bring in reinforcements. As Ruby ran, she saw Weiss and Yang touch down on the concrete floor, Sun and Penny run towards the second bullhead, and the staff run for cover behind cargo containers and cranes.

A third bullhead had landed, bringing more members of the White Fang. Some of them were defending their allies from being attacked, while a couple were heading towards the innocent staff. Ruby knew what she had to do, so she activated her semblance and intercepted the pair of terrorists, hoping that Blake would be fine on her own.

"You won't get through me!" Ruby said.

One of the White Fang terrorists sneered. "Get out of the way, kid, if you know what's good for you."

Ruby unveiled Crescent Rose, and transformed it into a scythe. "I won't. If you're going to hurt these people, then you've got a problem with me, got it?"

"Your funeral," the other terrorist said.

The first terrorist began firing at Ruby with his assault rifle, but dodging the bullets was easy, and Ruby rushed towards him, slamming the flat of her scythe into his stomach, before sweeping him off his feet.

A second later, the other terrorist swiped at Ruby with her long sword. With a quick spin of her scythe, Ruby deflected the slash, and knocked the sword out of the terrorist's hands. It didn't take long for Ruby to knock her to the floor with her comrade. Both of them were clutching their stomachs, winded and in pain, but they'd get back up if she didn't do something.

She glanced at the terrified staff members, noticing that one of them was watching her, calmer than the rest.

"Get to safety!" Ruby said. "Now, before it's too late!"

The calm dockworker nodded, quickly convincing his fellow employees to run away from the battlefield. He did well, because three more White Fang terrorists were coming after her, eager to avenge their comrades' defeat. By the time they were out of harm's way, Ruby defeated them all without breaking a sweat. She needed rope or some other material that could bind them, so she looked at Blake, who was about two hundred metres away from her.

Blake was busy asking the White Fang why they were aiding a human. Said human looked at Blake and grinned, slowly slicing the tip of her umbrella across her throat. Her message was very clear: not only were they working together, fighting them would lead to a violent death.

Ruby was closer to Blake than the woman was, but the woman wasn't so far away that she couldn't find a way to hurt Blake before Ruby could get to her. Not only that, the woman wasn't that far away from Ruby, and she had proven to be a pretty adept fighter. Her allies were busy doing their own thing, so it was on Ruby to make a quick and sudden impact.

First, she ran a few metres away from the fallen White Fang terrorists, so they wouldn't get in her way. Then, she loaded a single round filled with Dust into Crescent Rose.

"Blake!" Ruby shouted, grabbing her attention. She grabbed the woman's attention, too. Her eyes were trained on Crescent Rose. "Smokescreen!"

She transformed Crescent Rose into its rifle form and blasted the round three metres above Blake's head. Blake pulled out Gambol Shroud, firing a pair of purple blasts at the round, making it explode and release mounds of steam that hid Blake from view.

A sharp whistle crowed through the air, and when the steam cleared, Blake was gone. So was the sharply dressed woman. Ruby heard footsteps, saw the woman charging right her as the White Fang terrorists chased after Blake. With how dangerous she was, there was no way Ruby could run to aid Blake without drawing her ire.

Immediately, Ruby fired round after round at the woman, trying to slow her down, but she opened her umbrella and deflected every bullet, flames from the explosions billowing off it, unable to pierce through her weapon. Ruby's opponent closed the distance, shutting her umbrella and thrusting the tip – much sharper up close – at Ruby's stomach, an attack Ruby was barely able to dodge.

It didn't deter her opponent, as she struck again, and again. Ruby did her best to avoid her attacks, but it wasn't easy. Her opponent was fast, much faster than she was used to fighting against, and she wasn't giving her enough space to transform Crescent Rose and parry her attacks. Not only that, her opponent was starting to land glancing blows that were sapping away her Aura.

She needed to make some room.

So Ruby fired a single round at point-blank range and immediately activated her semblance. Rose petals marked her tactical retreat, and when she stopped a fair distance away, Crescent Rose became a scythe once more, just as Ruby's opponent set the shaft of her open umbrella on her shoulder, unharmed.

In spite of the circumstances, Ruby was relieved that she hadn't wounded her opponent with that shot.

It didn't matter if this woman was shorter than even Ruby was, she handled herself with supreme confidence, a wide, menacing grin nearly splitting her face. Her eyes were mismatched, matching her hair's two colours: pink on the right, brown on the left, but somehow, that wasn't what made her eyes stand out. It was the pure, unrestrained hatred they exuded that made Ruby quiver in her boots.

Who was this woman, and what had Ruby done to deserve such an awful look?

She didn't know, but what she did know was that this stranger's feelings weren't that important right now. What mattered was making sure that she didn't achieve her goal.

Ruby went on the offensive, using Crescent Rose's long reach to her advantage as she slashed at her opponent with long, sweeping blows, trying to get a read on her patterns, any holes in her defense that she could exploit. It was easier said than done, because her opponent dodged every single strike with deft footwork, nudging Crescent Rose away with her umbrella whenever it got too close.

For the time being, Ruby wasn't only keeping up, she was keeping her opponent from fighting back. She swung for the fences with a horizontal strike strong enough to slice through steel, but her opponent jumped over it, landing on the flat side of her scythe and bouncing off it, crushing Ruby's nose with her knee.

Fortunately, Ruby's Aura held fast, but her head whipped back, and she had to resist the reflex to hold her nose. When her opponent landed, she was wedged in between Ruby and Crescent Rose, forcing Ruby to think fast before she was punished for overextending.

Ruby chose to slip to her right, but her opponent drove her umbrella handle hard into her right wrist, lashing out with a front kick that sent Ruby flying. She hit the ground back-first, and clutched at Crescent Rose... only to realize with mounting horror that it wasn't in her hand.

Her opponent approached, pulling out a sharp blade from her umbrella. Ruby jumped to her feet and rushed to Crescent Rose, but she was intercepted. The sharply dressed woman jabbed at Ruby's flank, then her sternum, and without Crescent Rose, Ruby was practically defenseless, covering her torso with her arms in a vain attempt to protect herself.

She had to distract her opponent, and as Ruby's Aura began to fade, she latched on the first thing that came to mind. Ruby screamed her lungs out, catching her opponent off-guard and giving her one second to move. That second counted, as Ruby used it to pick up Crescent Rose.

Ruby fired a round from the edge of her scythe. It was blocked, batted out of the way by her opponent's umbrella. Then she flipped to the side as Yang hit the concrete she was just standing on, shattering it with a single punch.

Yang stood up, cocking Ember Celica and firing round after round of shotgun shells. The sharply dressed woman was more than capable of deflecting them, but she was being driven back. It wasn't by much, but Ruby was really, really glad to see her sister.

"I won't let you hurt my sister!" Yang yelled.

Her eyes were scorching red, and her blonde hair was starting to burn as brightly as the sun. Ruby took time to recover as Yang chased after her opponent, but in spite of her fury, Yang's punches weren't landing and she was quickly losing her advantage.

In fact, all it took was one cleanly placed strike aimed at Yang's sternum to knock the wind out of her lungs. Ruby dove in before the woman could kick Yang's jaw, slashing at her umbrella. She missed, but it gave Yang just enough time to catch her breath and punch their opponent in her face, and it came very close to landing.

Both sisters put everything they had into taking down this woman, a whirling dervish of pure pressure, but nothing they tried worked. In desperation, Ruby resorted to a combination attack she and Yang had come up with. They were still working out the kinks, but it was supposed to make the most of their combined strengths.

"Yang!" Ruby shouted. "Rocket!"

Yang made a smokescreen with her shotgun shell, granting them valuable time to get away from their opponent. Once they were out of harm's way, Yang thrust out her hand. Ruby grabbed it, and started to spin around Yang, gathering speed. When she spun enough times, Yang threw Ruby at their oncoming opponent, and Ruby used her semblance to boost her momentum into speeds she could barely reach on her own, whirling like a buzzsaw that couldn't be stopped.

Her opponent wasn't fast enough to dodge this strike, and Ruby drove Crescent Rose through her torso, shattering her apart into millions of pieces. Ruby crashed against a cargo container, denting the metal.

Stopping herself once she got going was the main thing Ruby had to work on, but it looked like it worked. Their opponent was nowhere to be seen.

"Awesome, Ruby!" Yang said.

Ruby smiled... then her smile melted into a gaping grimace of horror as Yang's knee buckled, and the sharply dressed woman kicked the side of Yang's head with her shin, slamming her into the concrete floor. Ruby staggered back, her grip on Crescent Rose tightening so much that her hands were starting to chafe.

Fear turned into unhinged anger as Ruby charged towards her opponent, for daring to hurt her sister. She swung wildly with Crescent Rose, desperate to hurt this woman, but nothing she did was working.

"Why won't you stay still?" Ruby screamed.

As Ruby sliced ahead, her opponent grabbed Crescent Rose's handle and flipped into the air, both of her legs wrapping around Ruby's neck. In one violent movement, Ruby was driven into the concrete, head crashing through it and depleting her remaining Aura.

Ruby turned around to see her opponent reveal her umbrella's blade once more, grinning triumphantly, gleefully. She brought the blade down, right at Ruby's heart.

Ice cocooned Ruby, blocking the sharp blade. Through the clear ice, Ruby saw Gambol Shroud lunging forward, past the crazed woman and whipping around to blast her back. She avoided it, of course, but before she could hurt more of Ruby's friends, she was knocked away by a massive green energy beam.

Once the beam stopped, Ruby saw Penny leap towards the container her would-be assassin was blasted into, a horde of swords flying out of her backpack. Somehow, Ruby's opponent was still standing, still able to defend herself. However, from what Ruby could see, Penny was doing a better job at fighting her than both Ruby and Yang had done.

The ice melted around Ruby, and Ruby stood up, finding her footing after taking a couple of shaky steps.

"Are you okay, Ruby?" Blake asked.

Ruby frowned. "I think so."

Her head was pulsating, but it was from pain, hopefully not a concussion. She was immensely grateful that she wasn't seeing double or worse after the way her opponent crushed the rest of her Aura.

"Excellent," Weiss said.

She looked at Yang, who was climbing to her feet, mostly unharmed. From the scowl on her face, she wasn't done fighting, not by a long shot.

"Where is she?" Yang asked. "Where the hell is she?"

Ruby looked at the carnage. Her opponent hadn't just been blasted into a container, she'd been blasted through one container before hitting another one. Penny was doing a great job at fighting her off, swords striking at her from all sorts of angles. Somehow, some way, the woman with two-toned hair was actually gaining ground, working overtime in dodging the swords, deflecting them and striking at Penny, nicking her in places.

Before Yang, or anyone from Team RWBY could help Penny out, sirens blared all around them, heralding the police's arrival. In the blink of an eye, Ruby's former opponent disappeared in a crack of shattered glass. One of the bullheads was already in the sky, hauling off a cargo container full of Schnee Dust.

It was the only one, though. Ruby saw Sun knocking out the last few stragglers left standing among the White Fang. Another bullhead was destroyed entirely, laying in pieces, broken structures of ice and shallow craters marking the destruction this brawl had caused.

Ruby tried to take a step forward, but she stumbled. Yang caught her, while Blake set a steadying hand on Ruby's shoulder. Weiss had a fraught look of concern as she examined Ruby.

"I'm fine, you guys," Ruby said.

Weiss scoffed. "I disagree. But don't worry, Ruby, you're safe. We'll protect you."

"Yeah, we will," Blake said.

Yang bit her lip. "Yeah."

Ruby smiled. At least Weiss and Blake were agreeing on something. Not only that, they kept the White Fang from stealing all of the Dust, and she beat the ones she fought without seriously injuring them.

Even though she was utterly defeating by a woman she only just met, and seconds away from dying, she could take solace in those facts, take comfort in knowing that she was surrounded by her team, her friends. No matter what happened, she would endure... and she would fight.


End file.
